Time Stands Still
by powerfulhallucinations
Summary: Captain Swan Neverland AU: Emma has been growing sick of trees and less sick of Hook, maybe they could be something...well that is until Neal shows up and starts causing problems, not to mention leaving her to face a monster on her own. Includes dashing rescues, some fluff, some angst, shady goodness and Captain Snowing moments. *Now extended to 3b arc*
1. Time Stands Still

**A/N: AU based on the prompt 'I have you shoved against the wall but now I can't stop looking at your mouth' except that because it is set in Neverland 'wall' is replaced with tree. Please enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT.**

 **Time Stands Still**

 _Tree, tree, tree, tree, deadly poisonous flower, tree, tree, Lost One booby trap, tree, dirt, tree, avoid that frog, don't touch those berries, that leaf is actually razor sharp, tree, tree, tree._

It was just another typical day in Neverland for Emma and the others.

Regina tutting and flicking bugs out of her face, Mary-Margaret fussing over their hydration, David being over protective of his wife and daughter, Rumplestiltskin trailing behind glaring disdainfully at the leather clad pirate leading them and barking out orders of what plants and animals to avoid, Emma wandering between the front and the back of the group, sweating her ass off and worrying about Henry.

They'd been at it for a week or so now, or what Hook told them had been a week back in Storybrooke; time ran differently in Neverland. Pan, _the demon spawn child as Emma had heard Hook saying,_ it seemed had the power to make it day or night at any time he chose. This meant that they sometimes had only a few hours of daylight before needing to stop depending on where they'd made it to.

Killian- _Hook, she reminded herself,_ would point blank refuse to move on from some places when 'night' fell, aggravating everyone with his replies that it was _'simply too bloody dangerous.'_ Safe to say at those times, with the entire lot of them against him, he would retire to some far corner of their camp, sitting nearly out of sight and pulling out his trusty flask. He could sometimes be heard muttering to himself about the _'life-threatening determination of heroes_ ' or how _'they'd bloody well end up killing themselves.'_

Emma wanted to be grateful to him (and she was) for giving up on his revenge to bring them all to the island to save her son, but he infuriated her with his smirking, innuendos, reckless behaviour and stubborn determination. Over the past week he'd gone been flirting with her, arguing with everyone, being occasionally completely silent and worst of all; he'd taken to throwing himself in front of whatever danger someone had gotten themselves into.

At first it was Mary-Margaret who had nearly fallen into the water from an enchanted stream, then Regina in the case of a flower that emitted deadly toxins, Gold (surprisingly enough) he'd saved from some kind of rat beast or other and finally David, whom he'd shoved out of the way of a poisoned arrow flinging trap, nearly getting hit himself in the process.

It shouldn't have been a problem, except, each time Emma found that her heart stopped beating a little until she knew he was safe. The fact that she was worried about him frightened her, so she hid behind her walls and covered it by yelling at him instead; he was after all their only guide on the island and if he died there would be no one to lead them _or_ Captain the Jolly should they find Henry and a way to get off the cursed island.

The thing was, she _liked_ him, actually liked him. Despite being a huge pain in the ass seventy five percent of the time, he was never cruel, never openly hostile to anyone no matter how much Gold pushed his buttons. He was respectful to her parents, sometimes bantering back and forth warmly with David as if they were old 'mates' and complimenting her mothers ability to make outstanding meals from their rations. He was always offering a hand to her, Mary-Margaret and even Regina when large trees blocked their path. In the freezing night, when she was kept awake by the children crying, he would drape his own blanket across her shoulders and tell her stories about his pirating adventures. He was an ally and a friend, and occasionally, she'd catch him looking at her and see something in his eyes that made her breath catch and her heart flutter.

She liked him and had started to fear that _maybe_ , just maybe, she _like_ -liked him.

 _Tree, tree, **evil** tree,toxic mushroom, vine that will strangle you, snake pit, Venus human trap, tree,pretty bird but do not touch, tree, moss, tree._

Emma zoned out of the monotony of their walking, continuing to move her body but allowing her mind drift elsewhere besides the path being cut by Hook in front of them. It was as such that she didn't notice David, who was ahead of her, coming to a sudden halt, sending her crashing into his back.

"Ow!, jeez what the-"

"Quiet." Hook's voice barked from the front. She rubbed her nose bitterly, stewing in silence, watching as he levelled his sword with the vegetation on their right. David did the same, Mary-Margaret notched an arrow, Regina and Gold both conjured fireballs and Emma hastily drew her little cutlass.

Now that she wasn't shouting up a storm, she could hear the rustling of the jungle, the sounds of twigs snapping as something moved closer to them at some speed. They were stuck in a straight line on the rough trail, but she could see Hook edging slowly to his right, silently ushering her mother so that they could form a tighter clump.

The thing, whatever it was, was getting closer and just as it burst out before them, Killian somehow managed to swing himself into a defensive position in front of her.

" _Bae?"_ came Gold's questioning voice and shocked, Emma peered round Hook.

True to word, Neal stood before them looking surprisingly healthy for a man who was supposedly dead.

"Neal?" Emma queried which drew his attention as she edged ever so slightly from behind the pirate who kept his sword up.

"Emma," he breathed and suddenly dashed forward shoving Hook into David and sweeping her up in his arms whilst furiously pressing his lips against hers. Shocked, Emma allowed herself to be kissed, slipping her eyes closed so that she didn't see her fathers somewhat consoling hand on Hook's shoulder.

Neal pulled back, grinning like an idiot in love, which apparently he was as he said, "I love you Emma."

Before she could reply, he tucked her into his side and began explaining to everybody how he'd made it there from the Enchanted Forest with help from Mulan, Aurora, Philip and Robin Hood _(Jesus christ were all fairy tales real)_ They all listened closely but Emma noticed the displeased faces of everyone save Gold, when he talked about using a little boy as bait. He was still going on, when a harsh throat clearing interrupted him and attention was drawn to the Captain.

"Sorry to interrupt this _magnificent_ tale of love conquering all, but I do believe we are here for a reason and should probably be getting on."

Not waiting for a response, he quickly strode off, sword once again ready and not looking back.

"What's up his butt?" muttered Neal but hastily shut his mouth when David hoisted his sword and glared,

"I do believe, what he is _actually_ doing is trying to get _your_ son back; so I suggest you be quiet and keep up."

It was odd of David to be so harsh, Emma thought, something was obviously getting to him and Hook whose back was nearly out of sight. With a shrug in Neal's direction, she followed her mother's lead keeping hold of her cutlass just in case and tagging along in the single file line. Apparently, Neal had other ideas and ran up to walk beside her holding her hand in his.

She heard Regina sigh loudly before calling out, "It seems you're going to need to cut a wider path Captain."

At this Hook glanced back, casting an eye over the heads of the Charming's finally noticing her and Neal's linked up position. She watched as his shoulder's tensed and his mouth thinned, yet he said nothing and simply set about in sweeping his sword in bigger arcs.

~E&K~

A couple of hours into their trek, night suddenly came upon them and Hook announced that there should be a clearing a few metres ahead where they could rest until the sun arose. He was correct as only minutes later, they found themselves in a small open space with moonlight filtering down through the canopy.

They had a routine by now; Mary-Margaret would sort out their food David and Gold would set up a perimeter, Emma would check over their supplies, Hook would collect firewood, Regina would set up beds and start the fire. However, Emma watched as the pirate tried to place his sword back in his scabbard without wincing, only then realising the physical toll it would have taken to clear more room so that she and Neal could walk together. Her mother it seemed, had also noticed as she hurried over to see if she could help. A small conversation passed between the former bandit and the pirate until an agreement was reached.

"Neal," Mary-Margaret called, "Captain Jones has injured his shoulder, would you be kind enough to go and gather us some firewood."

 _Since when has he been Captain Jones,_ Emma wondered.

"Oh um, sure," Neal replied, "Maybe Emma could come with, you know to give me a hand."

"Actually _Baelfire,"_ interjected Regina, "Emma has her own job to do and-"

"I'll do it," said Hook, not looking at anyone, "I'll check over our supplies and Emma can go collect firewood with Baelfire, they probably have a lot to discuss."

He then turned immediately to their water-skins ignoring the six sets of eyes on his back.

"I guess we should get going then," said Emma not taking her eyes off of where Hook was now crouched on the ground, the muscle in his shoulder twitching from exertion.

Strapping her cutlass to her back as a precaution, she followed Neal back into the jungle one of the camp lanterns in hand so they could see the ground, picking up sticks along the way. Everything was silent for around two minutes when Neal suddenly spoke, " So what's going on with you and Hook then?"

Emma very nearly dropped her small pile in surprise. "What do you mean _me and Hook?_ There is nothing going on between us, why would you even say that?"

Neal rolled his eyes, "Oh come on Ems, the guys been glancing at you all day not to mention you were practically pressed up against his back when I found you all."

"He was protecting me, we didn't know it was you, it could have been lost ones or some killer bird, rat thing; I don't know!"

"So you're telling me he hasn't tried to get in your pants?"

"We've been looking for Henry!"

"Yeah well it's not the first time a woman would have chosen him over her family."

"How dare you! You think you can just roll in here and start jumping to conclusions and making accusations."

"He's a pirate Emma."

"And a _good man._ We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him."

"Well I'm sure he has his reasons."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, just-"

" _No. Go on,_ tell me all about how Hook's just here to try and sleep with me, how it's all some elaborate scheme, a diabolical plan for sex a-"

"Emma shut up."

"I'm sorry what-"

" _Emma_. Be quiet right now."

Emma crossed her arms but did as he said, tapping her foot against the dirt as Neal swept his eyes over the large clearing they'd stumbled into.

"We need to go now," he whispered.

"What, why? I-"

"Emma, right now. We need to move."

Suddenly, a large, spine chilling roar went up somewhere in the jungle surrounding them, causing the ground beneath their feet to quake.

A group of birds flew up into the sky, screeching loudly as the trees began to tremble and shake. A shadow, darker than the night and nearly half as tall as the plants themselves began to emerge into their line of sight.

The beast prowled into the clearing, at least ten or fifteen feet tall, drool dripping from it's fangs that could have been the size of the dark one dagger each and claws dug within the earth as it eyed up the two humans frozen a mere twenty metres away.

"RUN!" yelled Neal and took off.

The thing roared again and charged them, but Emma's feet wouldn't co-operate, she stood stock still, unable to move as it closed in. Her eyes shut, but, abruptly she was shoved from the side forcing her out of the way as she tumbled to the ground. Glancing up, she saw the moonlit figure of Killian Jones stood in front of her, sword out, Hook poised, preparing to fend off the monster.

It pawed at the ground and prepared for its next charge, when an arrow suddenly came whistling through the air lodging in it's left hind quarter. Her mother stepped from the trees, flanked by David and Regina who forced it back with a wall of fire, giving Killian enough time to hook Emma's arm and pull her over to the others.

"It's a Bandersnatch," he said, joining the defensive line of three blocking Emma.

"A Bandersnatch?" asked Regina, "I thought they only lived in Wonderland."

"They do. But you forget your Majesty, Pan has the ability to conjure up whatever horrors he wants here, including said terrible beastie. He enjoys hunting them for sport."

"What do we do?" said David, no tremor in his voice.

"We kill it- Don't try and argue over the humanity of it. That thing is lethal and probably has scent locked on Emma as she was here originally, making her it's target. If we don't put it down, it will wipe us out, do you understand?"

The other three nodded in silent agreement, "Milady, Your Majesty," he said to Mary-Margaret and Regina, "We can't send Emma away from here, it will track her, so I suggest you two stay with her here at long range while Dave and I try and get hits in closer."

It was at times like this when Emma could see the infamous Pirate Captain coming out as he easily gave orders with no hassle. Her father, still with sword out, kissed her forehead and Mary-Margaret's before striding out with Hook beside him to meet the Bandersnatch mid field as it worked up its strength after the fire attack. Yet, it wasn't looking at the two men, instead it was fixed on the three women or more specifically the blonde being shielded by the two royals. It pushed off, but was swiftly halted by a whistle and a heavy branch smacking against the side of its skull. Killian took up his sword again as the beast turned on him and charged. At the very last moment, he somehow managed to sidestep and slice across the things front leg making it howl in pain. Out of nowhere it seemed, David appeared from behind, stabbing it in the tail and ducking behind a tree. The Bandersnatch lashed out and caught Hook with the back of it's paw sending him flying back into the dirt.

"KILLIAN!" Emma screamed and ignored the hands that tried to grab her and ran for the fallen man just as he began to sit up. Her shout drew the monsters attention as it whirled around spying her moving across the clearing. A growl came low in it's chest, rumbling through the earth making the hairs on her neck stand up and her body lock. It was as if it could force her to stay completely still, a sitting duck if not for the man to her right. As the Bandersnatch ran, so did Killian and he slammed into Emma, propelling her backwards until her back hit a tree and time stopped.

In a moment, it was just them breathing heavily. The shrieks and the howls of the beast faded as did the shouts of their group and even the murmur of the wind vanished. They were pressed against each other from toe to chest and Emma slowly canted her head so that their foreheads touched as well. She was finding it extremely difficult not to gaze at his lips, full and pink, one split and bleeding slightly from his fall. Reaching up, she brushed away the blood, fingertips grazing his stubble until she was eventually cupping his cheek. His hook was pressed against the tree, but his hand was around her waist, keeping her held tight against his body and stroking calmingly against the small of her back. What felt like hours must have only been seconds because a distinctly female scream erupted into the night air and Killian was off again.

David had launched another attack but it had only served to anger the Bandersnatch. It had batted him aside, knocked out against a tree and turned on Mary-Margaret, snapping her bow with it's teeth and sending Regina flying. The pixie-haired woman was crawling desperately backwards trying to escape. The thing opened it's mouth to deliver the fatal blow when a sword sunk down between it's shoulder blades. Killian had somehow sprinted up its tail and was currently stood on its back, sword lodged cleanly along the line of its spine. The monster flailed wildly trying to shake him off, but the pirate was like a monkey, clinging on and plunging his blade in again and again. Emma was transfixed by the sight of his proud silhouette, the moonlight glinting off the steel of his sword and Hook, the very image of a fairytale hero, until he wasn't.

The Bandersnatch reached up as Killian delivered another strike, and somehow managed to bat him off. He tried to roll aside out of the way, but Emma watched in horror as the final jab of the sword causes the Bandersnatch to collapse atop the pirate.

"KILLIAN!" She screamed again and ran over to the things body, "Killian! Killian! Come on. Please, Killian please- No! No!"

Emma shrieked and fought madly as a pair of arms wrapped around her middle, pulling her away.

"No, no! Let me go! Let me go! Killian!"

"Emma!" a voice yelled and Neal made a miraculous appearance closely followed by his father, "Oh Emma. Thank god you're okay, I though I'd-"

"Don't touch her," David yelled at which point Emma figured out he'd come around and was the one restraining her. " Don't you dare touch her when you ran off like a coward leaving her to die."

"I thought she was right behind me I-"

"Don't lie to me or else-"

"Don't threaten my son _dearie_ or I'll-"

"Killian," Emma's quiet sob interrupted them all as she tried to reach out again.

Her mother came to her side and too her face in her hands, "I'm sorry baby," she whispered pulling Emma into a gentle hug, rocking her daughter as she cried.

" _Bloody hell."_

Emma froze, she knew that voice no matter how muffled it was.

" _Bloody buggering hell, bloody Bandersnatch weighs a bloody ton."_

" _Killian,"_ she breathed not daring to hope.

" _Oh for fuck's sake. Sodding thing had to die on top of me. God I hope that's a leg and not it's-"_

"Jones!" David shouted crouched down next to the midsection of the corpse.

" _Ah Dave, lovely of you to join me. Fancy lending me a hand-pun not intended-and moving this buggers leg. It's getting quite hard to breathe under here."_

"A little help?" David asked and his wife and Regina both rushed in to help lift the back leg so that a hand, a familiar hand decked in chunky rings emerged.

Emma dashed forward and grasped Killian's hand in hers, tugging him slowly out onto the grass reminding her very much of a certain giant's lair, and just to really sell it.

"You are bloody brilliant, amazing," Killian said, smiling and winking at her.

"And you nearly got yourself killed...AGAIN! God Killian how many times am I going to have to yell at you over this. How are we meant to get anything done without you? How are we meant to navigate this island? How are we meant to know what not to touch? How are we meant to manage the Jolly? How are we meant to find Henry? How am I meant to be able to sleep at night? Who's going to give me a blanket, or get the firewood or piss off Regina with stupid one liners? How am I meant to do this without you, I can't do this without you Killian, I need you I...I...Don't go."

She whispered the last part into his ear as she flung her arms around his neck, not caring that her family and Neal were there to watch her crawl into her pirates lap. Her fingers ran continuously through her hair and she felt the lingering brush of his lips on her temple.

" _As you wish."_

 **A/N: I sincerely hope you enjoyed this little one shot. If so (or if not) feel free to review me any of** **your advice/comments and stay beautiful lovelies :)**


	2. Something More, Something Else

**A/N: I had no thoughts on continuing this story, but the muse had other ideas and thoughts started to form, so a big thanks to** OnceUponATimeGeek2020 **for giving me a push in this direction.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Chapter 2: Something More, Something Else**

" _As you wish."_

Emma stilled ever so slightly. He couldn't know, surely he wouldn't understand the context of the words he'd just spoken. _No,_ she assured herself, this was Hook, he wouldn't know about the Princess Bride. He'd obviously felt her stiffen and was leaning away, trying to put distance between them. Looking up and into his eyes, Emma could see the hope fading and the walls slowly reassembling themselves for what he surely assumed was about to be her harsh rejection. But, she was never one to be predictable. Slowly, without breaking their gaze, she leaned in and felt him doing the same. They were mere centimetres apart when a sharp cough broke the stillness of the moment and had them pulling back.

Neal stood above where they were sat in the dirt, fists clenched and anger rolling off him in waves all directed at Killian.

"Emma," he practically spat, "What are you doing?"

His tone was harsh and cold earning hugely disapproving looks from her parents who were standing, arms folded beside Regina, a little ways away from the pair on the ground.

" _Selling apples_ ," she replied sarcastically. "God Neal, what does it look like? I'm just thanking him for...what was it again?...oh that's right, _saving my life._ "

"It looks as if you were about to let that handless bastard stick his tongue down your throat and then maybe go for a nice roll in the field."

She felt Killian tense up at Neal's words, but was far too enraged to pay it much attention.

"Fuck you Neal! I was going to kiss him on the cheek not _make out_ like some horny teenager with my parents watching. For Christ sakes, _we're not even friends."_

She regretted it the moment she said it. The soft gasp that escaped her mother and the disbelieving and disappointed look on her fathers face told her what she already knew, _she'd gone way over the_ line. Worst of all was shocked almost the pained intake of breath from the pirate who still had her cradled in her lap as her words hit him like a slap in the face.

"Killian I-" she started, but it was too late.

He (gently) pushed her from his lap, and stood straight upright, not looking back, and, without a word, strode off in the direction of the camp, sidestepping Regina when she reached out to try and stop him.

Emma scrambled to her feet and made to follow but her mother halted her,

"I'll go, you should probably give him some space right now. I'll check over your injuries when you get back.

Neal and Gold watched the Captain's and Princesses retreating forms with smug smiles before reverting their attention to the rest of the group.

"A wise choice Miss Swan," Gold said, "Trusting that black-hearted scoundrel will bring you nothing but trouble. Believe me when I say he is friend to no one here and is working only for himself."

"Papa's right Ems, he's a bad-"

"Oh put a cork in it Dark One Junior," sneered Regina, "I may not be Captain Guyliner's biggest fan, but I know for a fact that he wouldn't have come merrily skipping back to the place he spent centuries trying to get away from without reasons other than personal gain."

"Regina's right," intoned David, "We know Hook actually came here for _you_ Neal, to honour your memory by rescuing your son and keeping us all alive. I'm beginning to lose track of how many times he's saved all of us on this island, even you Gold, owe him thanks."

"I owe him nothing," hissed the Dark One, "Now may I suggest we return to camp."

"Excellent idea, Regina and I will escort Emma and seeing as you're so confident in your own ability to survive on Neverland, you can take your son and collect the firewood he dropped when abandoning my daughter... _again."_

David then turned and lightly took hold of Emma's elbow as they trailed Regina on the path back to their clearing.

"Dad I'm sorry I-" she tried to say, but was cut off with a look.

"It's not me you should be trying to apologise to Emma. I understand that Neal was getting to you, but there was no need to direct that aggravation at Hook, especially after all he's done for you."

"Me?" Emma asked surprised, "Don't you mean us?"

Her father just sighed tiredly and looked at her as if she was being obtuse,

"No sweetheart, I mean you. Neal may be part of the reason he came here, but having seen the way he looked at you when handing over that bean and how he still looks at you now, I would say that most of his motivation is to rescue Henry for you."

" _So you think he's trying to get into my pants as well?"_

"That's not what he's saying Miss Swan," Regina huffed. "Hook and I are- _or were-_ both villains. The only way for _me_ to be able to have a happy future was to let go of my past and start doing good rather than evil. I suspect that our dear Captain may be on a similar mission for redemption. I asked him when we arrived here if he thought villains were incapable of getting happy endings, do you know what he told me? He told me he hoped not, or we've wasted our lives. Obviously the pirate has seen something in Storybrooke that has given him what your mother will tell you is a very powerful thing- _hope."_

 _Hope._

It was an unfamiliar concept to Emma and yet, maybe she could see where they were coming from. Storybrooke, despite it's ups and downs and near constant life-threatening attacks, was the first place in a long time that she had felt hopeful for something more, something else: home, friendship, family, _love even._ Perhaps Regina was right and Killian had found that too, but what exactly, she didn't know.

Her mind remained occupied with her musings until they re-entered their clearing where she gasped.

Killian was sat on a log with her mother tending to him... _shirtless._

Even from a slight distance she could see the clench of his back muscles and the little white scars that marred his skin, probably each with their own swashbuckling tale. But most concerning was the bruises and the stream of blood coming from his upper left arm. She stood frozen, listening to the colourful expletives that escaped his mouth as Mary-Margaret poured what she could only assume was his rum over the wound before reaching for a strip of cloth.

"David," she called upon spying her husband, "Can you come and hold this in place while I tie it, Emma honey, I'll do you next."

Killian's entire body visibly stiffened at the sound of her name and she felt her heart ache a little at the reaction. Clearly sensing his tension, her parents hurriedly finished the job of patching him up, her mother telling him that there was nothing to be done about the huge purple and black marks on his back and side. No sooner were they done, he was up again, grabbing his pile of clothing and tugging the shirt on before making a hasty retreat to the edge of the treeline, strategically positioning himself where he couldn't see or be seen.

Everyone watched him go in silence, none daring to attempt to block his path or hold him back, the quiet eventually broking by Mary-Margaret calling her over to take up Hook's old position on the log. Emma found her attention drifting as her mother poked and prodded her, checking for injury. _There wouldn't be any,_ Killian had made sure of that.

Having been cleared, Emma shuffled over to their currently empty fire pit, seating herself on her roll mat and pulling the blanket around her shoulders, content to stare into nothingness; that is until Neal returned, depositing his kindling and coming to sit down beside her, much to her annoyance.

"Were you hurt at all?" he inquired.

"No." was her quick answer, "David and Hook took the most of it all I did was get pushed out of the way." She felt increasingly guilty about the statement as she watched her father flinch when her mother pressed on an obviously tender patch on his skull.

"Maybe I should teach you how to use that cutlass then, you know seeing as it is mine and all."

"I actually know how to use it perfectly well thanks," she responded bitterly.

"Really? Who taught you?"

"My Dad and H-"

"Hook? Go on say his name, I guess I'm not surprised that he's been working so hard to weasel his way into your life by playing pretend at being a hero."

"It's not pretend," Emma whispered.

"What was that?"

" _I said,_ it's not pretend. He's not playing at being a hero because here, to me, to us, he is one. There is no way in hell that any of us would be alive or closer to getting Henry back if it wasn't for him. Don't try and argue with me Neal," she yelled when he opened his mouth to protest, "I'm done listening to you for tonight."

With that she got up and marched over to the other side of the now crackling fire to plonk down next to Regina who was trying to use an arrow to break into some coconuts.

"Where's Hook when you need him?" the Queen huffed from exertion and all Emma could do was shrug.

~E&K~

It was late. The fake night Pan had created had merged into a legitimate darkness causing the already low temperatures to drop even further. They'd all sat around to eat their wilderness style dinner of Neverland trail mix and some manner of bird that Hook said was perfectly edible and tasted somewhat of chicken. Speaking of the pirate, he had yet to emerge despite David's coaxing and had instead opted to have his dinner brought over so that he could continue to avoid Emma and the Gold's. Shifts were set up with David on first watch, and slowly things began to wind down. The adrenaline of the Bandersnatch attack meant that none of them were yet ready to sleep but were happy to remain seated as close to the fire as possible drifting in and out of conversation.

Gold was the first to retire, turning away to his mat that lay a fair distance from the rest. Regina suddenly sagged down, sleep claiming her in an instant so Emma was forced to move away. However, Neal had taken up residence in her bed and she was in no circumstances willing to share, so she remained with her mother in David's place, the two attempting to share Mary-Margaret's blanket as her father was using his like a cloak for added protection against the wind. Yet, her mother soon drifted off taking the warmth down with her, leaving Emma to feel the full force of Neverland's freezing nights. Her teeth began to chatter and her limbs to shake, when out of nowhere, a soft weight fell upon her shoulders. Quickly looking up, she caught Hook moving back to his own spot near where her father was stationed. Reaching up, she felt the soft wool and fought the sudden urge to cry realising that, even though she'd hurt him, he had come over and willingly given up his only blanket so that _she_ wouldn't be cold.

"Thank you," she called softly and knew that she had been heard by the clenching and unclenching of his hand. Snuggling down beside Mary-Margaret, Emma found a semi-comfortable position (as comfortable as you could get on the jungle floor) and allowed the heavy cloud of sleep to pull her under.

~E&K~

A bird cry sounded in the distance and Emma startled awake. She was about to push up when she heard the quiet murmur of voices, one in which drew her focus.

"You can't just give up mate; she was angry, pissed off, in shock even, she had no idea what she was saying. Can't you just let it go?"

"It's not that simple _mate."_

Emma was shocked, this was her father speaking to Hook and the way the conversation seemed to be going, they were talking about her.

"She's stubborn my daughter, it comes from her mother I swear, and she gets set in her ways and doesn't always filter what she's saying before she says it. You understand each other, so surely you know this?"

"Aye, I do. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."

"Never heard the saying sticks and stones may break my bones Captain?"

"That saying is a load of old bollocks. Words can hurt far more than any punch to the face."

"I'm not sure whether to agree or be offended at what could be a jab at my right hook."

The two men snorted together but the moment was lost in a heavy sigh.

"Here's the thing Dave. At the risk of getting hit by you again, I feel something for your daughter that I haven't felt in a very long time. It's not just that she's physically stunning, I find her intriguing and mystifying and infuriating and breathtaking."

"That's a lot on 'ing's'"

"Aye it is, but it's the truth. With her I see for myself something more, something else. I feel... _hopeful_."

"Then why pull away?"

"Because you were right when you said we understand each other. We're kindred spirits and...I can tell when she's lying just like she can with me. What she said today about us not being friends, that wasn't a lie. She doesn't see me that way and I doubt she ever will. To her all I'll ever be is the lying, cheating, bastard pirate who just so happened to conveniently have the means to the end that she needed. I promised that I would help save Henry and I intend to stick to that but, when all of this is over and you Swan, her boy and the rest of your family are safely back in Storybrooke, I'll be gone. None of you will ever have to see me again. I mean what's the point in staying in a place with no hope where everybody hates you. Don't try and deny it Dave, you know it's true. Now , I'll take over the watch, you should rest, but use my bed, Swan's in yours."

Silently, Emma rolled back over feeling the tears track down her face. She'd done this, she'd isolated him and because of that he was going to leave.

 _She didn't want him to leave._

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this, there will of course now be a next instalment but probably five chapters at most. Stay beautiful my lovelies :)**


	3. I've Got You

**A/N: Someone was wondering whether I was going to have Pan show up in this little story and thinking it over I have decided to include him. This means a change in perspective, so we'll be seeing things from our favourite pirate's point of view occasionally in the next sections. Enjoy dearies.**

 **Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing.**

 **Chapter 3: I've Got You**

He knew that he should have woken the Queen hours ago to take over the night watch, yet his mind and body would protest loudly every time he even considered settling down to try and get some sleep. With Baelfire now added to their party, there were too many people and too few bed rolls and, as the outsider, Killian had mentally volunteered himself to go without. However, the hard, cold jungle floor was far from comfortable and, with the list of his injuries racking up, finding a decent position that would cause him no pain was near impossible. Not to mention the Swan girl. Somehow, without his permission or realisation, Emma had invaded his thoughts, gotten under his skin and, though he was scared to admit it, into his heart. This wasn't the first time he'd been kept awake by thoughts of her, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, although, it had never been quite as painful as this.

 _'We're not even friends.'_ The words had been bouncing around inside his skull ever since they'd fallen from her mouth, pounding through his brain and quelling each and every small ounce of hope that he'd ever had in regards to his relationship with her.

He knew that he got to her, that he made her huff and roll her eyes to such an extent that he was sure they would fall right out of her head. He'd thought it was all in good nature, the teasing banter they usually shot back and forth at one another; but now he could see and hear the harshness and the truth in the comments that she had thrown at him. _'Is rum your solution to everything?'- you're an alcoholic, 'Do you need a hand?'- you're not a whole man, 'Sure thing, whatever you say Pirate.'- you're a villain, never forget that._

All these little remarks that had seemed so light and every day at the time, now came back to haunt him with what he could only assume she had actually meant.

Absent-mindedly, as he did whenever he was troubled, he reached for his flask, swiftly uncorking it with his teeth and taking a long pull just as the first signs of sunrise lit up the sky.

"Well, well, well," said a voice off to his side, a voice he knew all to well and had wished to never hear ever again, "Isn't this a familiar sight. Dressed in black from head to toe, rum in your hand, I didn't think you'd ever dare to return here Captain Hook."

"Pan," he growled, turning on the pre pubescent teenage demon, dropping his flask and instead placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Oh come now Captain, no need to sound quite so hostile," jeered Pan, "And you should no better than to try and come at me with some common blade."

"What do you want?"

"Oh, is it not okay for me to want to catch up with an old friend?"

"We're not friends," spat Killian, "We were never friends, now say what you came here to say and then get out of my sight."

"Ooh, touchy, touchy," the boy spoke moving in closer so that they were nearly standing toe to toe, "Emma's words getting to you are they Hook. Are you honestly surprised?"

 _"What do you know about it?"_

"I know you saved her and killed my Bandersnatch- bad form that- and yet, she seemed less than grateful. But then again, why would she, or any of these people, trust a man like you?"

Killian could feel his body shaking with barely suppressed rage and it made the demon smile.

"They're never going to like you you know, it's like you said, you're just a means to an end. Emma has Neal now, the father of her child, the man she loves; what use does she have for a one-handed pirate with a drinking problem? An untrustworthy villain, a vengeful cur... _a broken man."_

That was the last straw. Killian roared and drew his sword thrusting it at Pan, but the boy had already vanished, disappeared off to whatever corner of the island he was inhabiting leaving the divided group with a giant wedge driven between them.

~E&K~

They were on course again, trekking determinedly through the dense undergrowth. It was a new day and, despite all that had occurred the night before, the group seemed fresh faced and hopeful for a better outcome. _Well..._ all but one.

Emma watched worriedly as Killian slashed furiously at any vine, leaf or branch that dared to get in his way, grunting from the effort of his violent swings. She'd woken to find him, her father and Regina arguing over the night shift. Judging by what she heard in their heated conversation and based on the heavy shadows under his eyes, she gleaned that the pirate had not switched off with the Queen and had apparently not slept at all. Further protest went up from Mary-Margaret when he once more took up position at the head of their group, drawing his sword to cut their path. He had merely shrugged off her mother when she attempted to make him let David take the lead so he could rest up his shoulder, instead striding off and attacking the foliage. He'd brushed off all attempts at communication until they all decided it was probably for the best to just leave him alone.

Still, Emma couldn't help but be concerned for him. His left arm was held slightly away from his body indicating that his injury was causing him some level of pain and irritation even though it was on his less favoured side which was out of use; the near constant laboured breathing was also being interrupted by pained hisses that made her wince and as soon as they took a five minute break, he was slumped against a tree, barely keeping himself upright, sword buried in the ground, hand pressed against his bruised ribcage.

She yearned to approach him, or even just to catch his eye, but he refused to look at her or any of them. She could see him retreating behind his walls, putting on the mask of the ruthless pirate captain and cutting himself off from them entirely.

"Somebody needs to do something," whispered Mary-Margaret, "I can't even get him to take some of my water, he's going to die from exhaustion or dehydration if he doesn't stop. The day's only going to get hotter and who knows what could happen. We need him on top form, not in self destruct mode."

"Well what are we supposed to do?" asked Regina, "We've all tried to bridge the gap and he's not having any of it. I don't think Gold and Gold Junior are helping either."

This caught Emma's attention, "Why? What are they doing?"

"How would you feel walking through a jungle, injured, exhausted and dehydrated doing all you can to put the past behind you and help out some people who have barely any trust in you whatsoever , when the past is about two metres away glaring at your back the whole time just waiting and wishing that you'll drop down dead, all the while trying to maintain a strong front and prove that you can be better than the person that you used to be."

Regina's statement was met with complete silence as the heroes finally stopped and considered all that Hook was actually going through in order to help them rescue a boy he'd never even talked to and only seen for a few brief seconds when it seemed like the world was going to end.

"I'd never thought of it quite like that before," whispered David, "I don't think I'd ever be able to do what he's doing... _hell,_ I doubt anyone could."

"Exactly my point," said the Queen, "I'm thinking, _and I can't believe I'm actually saying this,_ that perhaps we owe more gratitude to Captain Guyliner than we thought, and that maybe we should fight his decisions less; he does after all, know this hell hole better than we do."

The Charming's nodded in agreement, "We can't do that though if he continues to ignore us all," murmured Mary-Margaret.

"I'll talk to him," Emma said trying not to be put off by the three identical disbelieving stares. "Look I know I'm probably the last person he's going to listen to, but part of why he's acting this way is because of me and what I said, that means I've got to be the one to fix it. Give me the water and try and keep Neal from intercepting me before I'm done."

With an encouraging nod from her father, Emma took the water skin and carefully approached the pirate where he was still propped against a thick trunk.

Up close, she could see how cracked his lips were and the sweat that dripped over his forehead, making his hair lie flat rather than its usual tasteful dissoray. His eyes were closed and his breathing heavy; _he looked awful_ and it made her heart clench. Carefully she ripped away part of her shirt, bunching it up and continuing to approach until she was only a foot or so away. Reaching up, trying to ignore the way her hand shook, she began to gently wipe the grime from his face. Blue eyes suddenly snapped open and fixed on her, the shock in them hard to miss. Smiling softly at him, she shuffled and inch closer but he backed up the same distance, the muscle in his jaw ticking.

"Hey," she whispered, not moving, allowing her hand to stay hovering in the air, "I'm just trying to help okay?"

He didn't budge, but his gaze flicked all over her face, probably trying to search for a lie.

"Relax," Emma breathed, "You'll feel better; just let me help."

Slowly and without breaking eye contact, Killian closed the distance he had created between them and allowed her to continue cleaning his face. Looking down, he watched her brow furrow in careful concentration, eye lashes brushing her cheeks, her free hand moving to his arm to keep them both in place.

"There now," she smiled, "That's much better. Now drink."

She thrust the water skin against his lips with such force, he had to push her hand away to stop himself from choking making her giggle ever so slightly; a sound he'd never heard before but suddenly found himself desperate to hear over and over again.

"Sorry."

"It's no problem love...thank you."

It was the first words he'd said to her in hours, the sincerity and depth of emotion there making her look down.

"Right...we should keep moving, although it looks like the jungles getting pretty dense up ahead; do you need a hand pirate?"

 _It was clearly the wrong thing to say._

She'd meant it teasingly, a little quip to try and make him smile, but instead his face darkened and his eyes grew cold, everything about him screaming shut down.

"Not at all _Princess,_ " his voice was harsh as he all but spat the nickname out, wheeling around and hoisting his sword he stayed with his back to her, waiting for the others to assemble.

"Killian-"

"Hey Ems," said Neal, appearing at her side, "Lets go shall we, I wanna talk to you."

" _Here?"_ she hissed, all to aware of the pirate in front of them.

"Yes here; lead on Captain."

His voice was mocking and Emma saw Killian's hook arm twitch at his side, yet he said nothing and once again set out on destroying the dark jungle.

"So Ems, I was thinking," Neal began and she was almost certain she heard Killian mutter _'that's dangerous'_ and struggled to suppress a snort.

"I was thinking that when we get back to Storybrooke, you should move out of your parents place."

"What? Why?" she nearly yelled, hastily lowering her voice to try and maintain some semblance of privacy.

"Well there won't be any room for me over there, so I was thinking we could stay with my Dad in his mansion until we've found a place of our own."

"Sorry What? _We? Your Dads? What are you talking about?"_

"Us moving in together of course."

"Moving in together?...Neal we're not moving in together."

"Sure we are, we're a family, it's what Henry wants."

"How the hell do you know what Henry wants?"

"I'm his father."

"You've been his father for the whole of two minutes, that doesn't mean you can just jump in and start making decisions for us."

"I'm just trying to get our future started now."

She tried to keep her attention focused on Neal, but she could see Killian's shoulders trembling and was starting to get quite worried over the possibility that he may just turn around and deck the man walking beside her.

" _Our future..._ Neal you need to stop, you're not thinking straight."

"What do you mean? Emma I love you I-"

"See that's the thing," against her will, her voice grew steadily louder, "You say you love me, but a week ago you were engaged and in love with Tamara telling me how much you needed her. So what...you're telling me that she shoots you and that means you're automatically in love with me again?"

"But you said it too."

"I know. I know I did, but it was only because I thought you were going to die!"

Her breathing was ragged as she tried seemingly in vain to reign in her emotions and ignore the dumbstruck look on Neal's face that swiftly turned to anger.

"Now wait just one sec-"

"GET DOWN!"

Emma turned when Hook shouted only to have him collide with her, sending them and Neal crashing to the ground just as an arrow flew through the air where Emma's head had just been.

"It's the Lost Ones!" yelled David and, sure enough, the cloaked figures of the savage teens were soon closing in around them.

They were outnumbered that much was clear and before they had a chance to move into a protective circle the boys charged. Mary-Margaret set off a quick volley of arrows trying to hold them back while Regina and Gold shot magic at them, but strangely enough it just seemed to be bouncing off their weapons.

"Pans enchanted them," Regina shouted over the war cries of the Lost Ones, "We're going to have to do this hand to hand."

"Pair off!" yelled Hook, "Regina with me, David help the Crocodile, Mary-Margaret you keep your daughter and Baelfire safe."

The group split up as Hook said, and even though their spells were ineffectual, the magical duo continued to toss balls of crackling energy around to distract their attackers.

Emma stayed by her mother's side in the centre of the fray, swiping at anyone who got too close. Neal was stood behind them dodging and ducking anything that came his way.

"Emma," he cried, "Give me the cutlass!"

"What? No!"

"I need it, I can help. Just stay here." Without waiting for her answer, he snatched up the blade and plunged head first into the fight. Emma tried desperately to snag the back of his shirt, but just ended up getting pulled along before losing her grip entirely and, in the same instant, found herself separated from her mother and trapped weaponless in the very heart of the battle. A fireball blew past her, missing by inches, sending her stumbling and straight into the back of the tall, blonde lost boy with the scar across his face.

"Well, if it isn't the Saviour. Silly lost girl only brought her fists to a sword fight." With that he swung his heavy club straight at her head so she was forced to duck and roll to avoid it, left floundering in the dirt. Felix, she recalled his name to be, slammed the club down on the ground, clipping her shoulder when she didn't quite move in time. Though it hadn't gotten her completely, the hit was still enough to make her cry out in pain.

Felix grinned manically down at her, raising his weapon for another strike only to have it yanked backwards out of his hands by a very pissed off pirate. Killian smashed the butt of his sword and the club into the side of the boys head so he went sprawling, unconscious to the floor. Chucking the crude stick away, he re-raised his sword whilst offering his hook to Emma, who took hold of it gladly so that he could pull her to her feet.

"Where's your cutlass Swan?"

"Neal took it. Where's Regina?"

"With you mother. He left you weaponless?"

"Well he-LOOK OUT!"

Killian spun around and quickly engaged the new foe swiftly knocking them out and turning back to Emma.

"You stay with me; do you understand? Do not leave my side no matter what."

She was about to nod, when over his shoulder she spotted one of the enemy trying to attack him from behind. Without hesitation, she spun him out of the way and slammed her fist into the boys jaw and then allowed Killian to put his lights out with a back hand from his Hook.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again," he huffed out, "We make quite the team love."

Smiling, they launched back into battle, Emma watching his back and occasionally grabbing his sword arm to direct it at a different target. At one point he was locked in a fight when one of the larger boys started to charge Emma.

"Hook," she called in warning.

He glanced back and using his left arm, linked it through hers, leaning forwards so she was lifted into the air and could slam her boots right into the boys chest, sending him straight at Regina who doused him from behind with a sleeping spell. All the while, Killian had never missed a beat with his sword. The Lost Boys slowly began to retreat, dragging their blacked out brethren behind them, vanishing back into the jungle as quickly as they had appeared leaving Operation Save Henry panting and out of breath.

Hook sheathed his sword and immediately turned to face Emma.

"Are you alright Swan," he asked, the worry in his voice evident.

"I'm fine thanks to you...I...just...I'm... _thank you Killian._ "

"No problem at all love it was-YOU!"

His sudden exclamation made her jump as he left her and all but stalked over to Neal, not caring about the presence of the man's father, and punched him in the jaw.

"OW! What the hell was that for?!" Neal shouted, clutching at his face that already had the signs of a bruise forming.

" _That_ is for abandoning Emma in the middle of a fight with no way to defend herself!"

"You did what!" screamed David just as Gold began to advance on the pirate.

"You're going to regret that deary," he snarled and drew back his hand to throw some manner of dark magic at Hook who was still glaring down at Neal. Before Gold could let it fly however, Emma stepped in the way.

"Don't you touch him," she warned.

"Miss Swan I suggest you move." Gold answered raising his hand again.

"I SAID DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

A white light suddenly burst from Emma that sent the Dark One sailing back and the others staggering as they tried to remain upright. She could feel it, _her magic._ It was coursing through her veins making her spine tingle and her hands glow.

"You will not touch him!" she shouted at Gold who flinched away.

Her eyes were flashing and her skin was burning, she felt the power rolling through her like the sea caught in a storm, wild and dangerous. And suddenly, it wasn't such a good feeling anymore. She was losing control she knew it, but couldn't seem to pull the magic back as it sparked in her hands.

"Emma."

She whipped around, teeth bared for another attack, but instead of an enemy it was Killian, his hands raised in surrender and his eyes soft and gentle.

"Emma love, look at me, it's okay. You're okay," he took a step, "Everyone's okay," another step, "I'm okay," one more step and she was in his arms.

Her body sagged and collapsed against him, the fight and her magic going out of her all at once. But he was there and caught her easily, arms strong around her waist and his cheek pressed into her hair.

"There's a good girl, I've got you love.

 _I've got you."_

 **A/N: So there we have it. Some angst, some adventure, some Captain Swan team work and Neal getting nailed. I think next time we're going to need some CS forgiveness and explanations and perhaps it's time that they actually kiss. What do you think?**

 **Stay beautiful lovelies.**


	4. Magic Is Emotion

**A/N: You guys are legitimately the sweetest people in the world. All of your comments have me smiling like crazy and it makes it so much easier to write. So thank you so much to each and every one of you, I love you all.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing**

 **Chapter 4: Magic Is Emotion**

" _I've got you."_

His words became muffled as Emma reached up to return his embrace, arms gently circling his shoulders. He could still feel her body trembling from the sudden onslaught of her magic, which made it far easier to ignore the others and press her just a little bit closer until the tremors stopped.

"There now," he murmured, speech lost in her hair, "That's better, you're okay love, I've got you,you're okay."

"Awww! Well isn't this just adorable."

The pair sprung apart and whirled around to glare at Pan who had materialised from nowhere, Killian moving to strategically place himself slightly in front of Emma.

"The Saviour and the Pirate, sounds like something straight out of a fairytale."

"What do you want Pan? Where's Henry?" yelled Emma.

"Oh, so you actually remember your son? Funny that, because here I was thinking that you were too busy making eyes at Hook to realise he was still with me."

"You son of a bitch!"

"Language! There are children present."

"You're no child," growled Gold, "Now give me my Grandson."

"Well that would be no fun now would it. No, no, no, no, _no._ I've actually come to help you, or rather spice things up a little," grinned Pan, jumping down from the log he was perched on. "Before you _try_ to get Henry back. You're going to need a way off the island."

"What's your point?" snarled Regina.

"Just offering some assistance, no magic beans here, no may to make a portal. Only way out is Second star to the left and straight on til morning."

"You mean flying."

"Yes Snow White I do, aren't you a _bright spark_. But with no pixie dust and no Pegasus sail- make sure to ask your Captain about that one- you're a bit stuck aren't you. So here's my advice to you." The demon boy suddenly materialised right in front of Killian's face, yet the pirate didn't flinch.

"Take a short trip why don't you, to the worst place in Neverland and, _if_ you come out alive, I'll see you on the battle field." He then vanished into nothingness leaving only his ominous laughter behind.

"What does he mean the darkest place in Neverland?" inquired David.

"And what's a Pegasus Sail?" added Mary-Margaret.

"Nothing to concern yourself with," snapped Hook leaving everyone in a startled silence, "As for the bit about Neverland, he means Dark Hollow."

"Sounds delightful," sneered Regina, "What is it?"

"It's where the shadows live; the one's Pan's rips from the bodies of his victims."

"Why would he send us there?" asked Emma, growing increasingly frustrated with the whole situation.

"Because Shadows can fly."

"Well thank you Captain Obvious we hadn't realised that," the Queen once again spat out.

" _What I mean is;_ Shadows can also be used to help others fly, people, objects, maybe even _ships."_

Realisation dawned on Emma's face, "You're telling me, we're going to rope ourselves a couple of shadows and lash them to the Jolly Roger and make them fly us back to Storybrooke?"

"Precisely."

"Well there's one flaw in your otherwise perfect plan pirate," jeered Gold, "You can't just rope a shadow."

"No but you can catch one," Neal piped up, drawing everyone's attention.

"When I escaped Pan as a boy and was hiding out in my cave, his Shadow came after me. I tried to defend myself with fire and it seemed to pull the thing in before it shrieked and flew off. I figured that maybe there was a way to catch it using a candle or a torch, so I made a shadow trap."

"A shadow trap?" asked David incredulously.

"It works, I tried it out once but couldn't keep hold of the thing for long. If we go to my place it should still be there, only when we get it, some rope might also be in order to actually keep the Shadow trapped. Once we've got it Papa can magically seal it in one of the sails on the Jolly Roger so we can fly out of here."

"You're serious?" queried Emma.

"Deadly."

"Then lets get going."

"Wait," called Hook making the group, who had been about to move, halt and cast him aggravated looks. "You've not thought everything through. We can all go and get this trap thing of Baelfire's, but Dark Hollow is not a place to be taken lightly."

"But Pan said we have to go there," said Mary-Margaret.

"I am aware of that, but there is no reason to risk everybody's lives at the same time; which is why I and _I alone_ will be going."

"Tell me you're joking," Emma sighed, "You don't honestly think we're letting you go there by yourself."

"That is exactly what I'm thinking."

"Nope, Nuh uh, no way buddy. You're not flying Han Solo on this one, it's all of us or nothing."

"It's not up for discussion Swan."

"Like hell it's not! We're going."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"Do you always have to be so stubborn?"

"Do you always have to be such an ass?"

"And here I thought you were quite fond of my arse darling."

"Stop avoiding the subject."

"I'm not-"

"You are. I'm going that's final."

"Don't make me tie you to a tree Swan."

"I'd _love_ to see you try."

"Bloody hell woman! Can't you see I'm-"

"You're what? What exactly are you doing?"

"I'M TRYING TO KEEP YOU SAFE!"

His outburst made Emma recoil, "I will not have one other bloody person that I lo- _that I care about,_ die on this god forsaken island." Chest heaving, he tried to turn away, but Emma stepped around to face him again.

"Another person?" she asked quietly, "Who else died here?"

"It doesn't matter." he said gruffly, avoiding making eye contact, "It was a long time ago. Now...lets just go and get this trap thing from Baelfire's cave and we'll discuss Dark Hollow afterwards."

"But I-"

"Leave it Emma. _Please._ Please just leave it."

And she did. He never called her Emma, only ever Swan, Love or Darling. She was far from over it though as she collected herself and joined the line following him in a new direction into the jungle.

~E&K~

They had reached a point where Neal had decided to take over as their front man, using her cutlass to dash through the plants, leaving Killian to step aside and instead take up position behind him, not willing to go to the back with the Crocodile who was still seething over his sons bruised jaw. Emma was still following his order to remain by his side no matter what, walking as close to him as possible whilst giving him enough room to stew in whatever thoughts were clearly racing wildly through his mind.

Glancing down, she could see his fingers smoothing over something in his hand. A little rectangle of fabric...no leather, with a shiny disk on one side that caught the light whenever the sun managed to filter through the canopy. She watched transfixed, as it somehow managed to evade him and slip from his gasp to the ground, where she quickly swooped it up, trying not to be put off by the panicked look on his face as she flipped it over.

"Jones?" she asked, "As in you Jones?"

"As in Liam Jones lass."

"Liam?"

"My Captain...and my brother."

"You have a brother?"

" _Had._ He died a long time ago, following orders from the King at the time."

"The King?"

"Aye. Liam was a Captain in his Navy and I was his Lieutenant."

"No way," she grinned, "No way were you ever a straight laced, order following, navy boy."

"Man, love and I was as straight laced as they came." There was a small smile on his face at her joking and she was determined to keep it there or bring it back considering she knew to an extent, what was coming next.

"So what happened?" And, as she had expected, the smile vanished in an instant.

"Liam was given orders to take us, _the crew,_ to a different land to find a plant that could supposedly cure any ailment. The king gifted us with a sail made from the feathers of the legendary horse Pegasus, that would allow us to fly there."

"The Pegasus Sail," she whispered.

"Indeed. We landed safely in the unfamiliar world only to be greeted by a boy...three guesses who, that warned us of the true nature of the thing we had been sent to find. My brother was always a stubborn arse, reminds me a bit of your father actually, they would have probably gotten along...anyway he chose to ignore the lads advice and lead us straight up Dead-man's peak."

"Sounds foreboding."

"It wasn't named that until after what happens next love. We found the plant, but I was still wary and accidentally goaded my brother into hacking off a piece and using it to pierce his own skin," Killian she noticed seemed to have stopped breathing and his eyes were shinier than usual; _with tears_ she realised.

"It turns out," he continued with a waver in his voice, "That the plant meant to save a thousand lives, was actually the Dreamshade I warned you all about. It took over Liam almost immediately, yet once again Pan showed up with a way to save him; enchanted water from the island."

"So he survived," Emma said hopefully.

"Sadly not. Pan told me not to take Liam and leave the island but I didn't understand what he meant. The minute our ship landed back in home waters, my brother collapsed; died in my arms in his own cabin. From then on I swore to serve no King for it seemed that at least there was honour among thieves. I took the ship, renamed it the Jolly Roger and my story goes from there."

Emma found herself struggling not to cry over the man who had suffered so much and come so far. He had come back to the place not only where he'd spent centuries trying to escape from, but where he'd lost his brother as well.

"I'm so sorry Killian," she murmured, desperate to reach forward and take his hand, but Neal was glancing back at them disapprovingly, so she settled for rubbing small circles against his shoulder.

"It's no worry lass, it was, as I said, long, long ago."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. The wounds made when we are younger tend to linger don't you think?"

"Aye love, that they do."

A moment of understanding passed between the two orphans. _Kindred spirits indeed,_ Emma thought.

"We're here," Neal's voice said, breaking the careful bond between them and gesturing to a small cave up ahead.

He used some manner of pulley system to hoist open the door so that the group could slip inside, before taking out a lighter to fire up some of the old torches. The stone walls were covered in little chalk drawings and pictograms while the floor was littered with some of his crudely made pots, pans and cutlery amongst which was...

" The Candle! I got it!" Neal exclaimed showing them all the little coconut, split into two halves, with holes in the top.

"Is that so it can breath," Regina scathed.

"Actually, if you please, David snuff out that torch." her father rolled his eyes but did so anyway as Neal lit the candle and placed the lid over it so that little beams of light went up and sat in pinpricks on the ceiling.

"It's a-"

"Star map," Killian interrupted.

"To where?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"Home."

Emma's whispered word was met with smiles from her family but she also noticed the longing look in Killian's eyes as he gazed at the tiny constellations.

"So we have Bae's trap," stated Gold, "Now how about a plan for Dark Hollow."

"We're all-"

"No," Hook intoned the very second Emma started to talk, "There is no point in everyone going. Swan seeing as you point blank refuse to remain here, you'll come with me. The rest of you should start planning our strategy for extracting Henry from Pan's camp."

Everyone seemed to agree with this idea even though her parents looked slightly worried. Well...everyone but-

"I'm going," said Neal making the pirate glare and roll his eyes. "If Emma's going so am I. She needs someone to watch her back."

"Because you've been doing such a great job so far," muttered Regina.

"None of you can stop me. I'm going and that's final, she needs protecting." Emma scoffed and made to protest but Neal had already marched out of the cave. She was fuming, absolutely livid, how dare he act like she was some sort of damsel in distress, if he thought she couldn't handle things here, he had another thing coming.

"Shall we Jones," she said to the pirate beside her who smirked knowingly and gestured for her to lead the way.

"Tear him a new one love," he whispered with a wink as she passed, forcing her to bite her lip to restrain the grin threatening to break out across her face.

Neal was waiting for them outside looking a little unsure of the direction they should be heading despite his earlier confidence. He most definitely wasn't prepared for Emma striding over and snatching the cutlass he had yet to return from his hand, swinging it around her head to practice some of the flashier moves Hook had taught her before levelling the blade near Neal's face and then dropping it down to rest by her side, trying not to feel overly pleased about the shock and slight fear in his eyes. Over his shoulder, she spotted Killian leaning up against a tree watching her with what looked like pride before subtly pointing to which way they should be heading.

With a small nod of acknowledgement, Emma whirled around and started to cleave a path as her pirate sauntered up behind her leaving Neal no choice but to trail at the back.

~E&K~

It didn't take them too long to reach their destination with Killian occasionally adjusting her swings to correct their course, but her arm still hurt like hell and she was seriously wondering how the hell he did this all day every day.

Dark Hollow was aptly named. As they got closer the light had all but vanished and the temperature dropped, eerie noises echoing from the gnarled trees that surrounded them. The whole place made the hairs on Emma's neck stand on end and her body quake.

" _The foulest stenches in the air,"_ she whispered, _"The funk of 40,000 years and grizzly ghouls from every tomb are closing in to seal your doom. And though you fight to stay alive your body starts to shiver, for no mere mortal can resist the evil of the thriller."_

"That's not funny Ems," Neal hissed.

"I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"Should I pretend to know what's happening here?" Killian asked, unsure whether to be amused or not.

"Just a bit of the King of Pop," Emma told him.

"The King of what? I have never heard of a land called Pop before."

"No Pop isn't a land, it's a-"

There was a sudden whoosh of cold air that doused their lanterns and the candle in one go.

"Great, just fantastic," Emma groaned, "Neal get this thing lit again."

He hurried over, wielding the lighter and began to click away at incessantly.

"Any time today would be nice."

"I'm trying, I'm trying."

"Oh back off would you mate, I've got one hand and even I could do better than that."

"This is not the time to be trying to impress Emma."

"Oh so that's what this is?"

"Could you guys maybe have your pissing contest at some other time?" Emma shouted, but it was too late.

Neal had tried in vain to wrestle the lighter from Hook's hand sending it flying across the Hollow so that the two men had n choice but to scramble after it.

There was an other-worldly howl and, out of nowhere, three shadows came into view and began floating towards her.

"Killian," she called over her shoulder, backing up to where they were still searching. However, her eyes were so fixed on the flying monstrosities, she didn't stand a chance of noticng the tree root until she was tripping over it and falling just as the shadows attacked.

She rolled to her feet, brandishing her cutlass to drive them back just as Neal and Hook came up beside her.

"It's Pan!" Neal yelled over the shrieking wind.

"But what about the other two?!"

"He's controlling them!" bellowed Killian, pushing Emma down behind a log and out of the way of another onslaught, only to be caught by the thing himself and thrown against a tree.

"HOOK!" Emma screamed from her hiding place.

"Emma!" called Neal as he too was thrust back.

The two of them began to cry out in agony as Pan's minions began to tear their shadows from their bodies.

"Get out of here Swan! Go run!"

But she couldn't look away or make her body move, gazing in horror as Killian writhed in pain.

Pan's shadow was circling over head so she snatched up the coconut, desperately willing her magic to come to life and save them by making the damn thing light. But nothing happened. She squeezed her eyes shut again, wishing for the screams to stop, for _him_ to be okay; when, out of nowhere, Gold's words came back to her.

 _Stop thinking! Conjuring magic is not intellectual endeavour. It's emotion. You must ask yourself, 'why am I doing this? Who am I protecting?' Feel it._

A series of faces flashed before her eyes: Neal, her parents, Regina, Henry and finally Killian.

Something inside her suddenly clicked, and with a wave of her hand, a flame burst to life.

Pan's shadow wailed and flailed as it was dragged down and down inside the coconut until Emma could slam the lid shut on it, trapping it for good.

The others fled and she heard two thumps as her companions hit the ground. Neal was awkwardly sitting up, rubbing at his head but Killian, she noticed, was lying still, sprawled out on the jungle floor.

"Hook?" she breathed, "Jones?" crawling over as best she could with cutlass and coconut in hand and pushed at his shoulder willing him to move. "Killian Jones, you'd better wake up right now!"

"Bugger off Swan," he groaned making her breath out in relief, "I nearly had my shadow ripped off, give a man a break already."

Laughing, she rolled him over to see him smiling up at her.

"Hey beautiful."

"Hey handsome."

The grin that lit up his face was magical and she found herself leaning in. But of course when were things ever that easy.

"You did it Ems, you got it," crowed Neal, tugging the coconut from her hands and binding it together with rope, "I would hold onto this tightly if I were you."

"Obviously," she said with a roll of her eyes, "Now lets get back, the others must be getting worried."

She stood, sheathing her blade and offering the now empty hand to Killian who gripped it in his own warm, large one and pulled himself up, stumbling ever so slightly into her personal space, but retracting again because of Neal.

"I think that landing did my shoulder in properly this time, Baelfire here, take my sword and lead would you, just off to the left."

Neal didn't look happy about the use of his old name or the orders, but set to it anyway with Emma making as if to follow.

"Swan, a word," Killian said, gently hooking her arm and bringing her to a stop in front of him.

"You saved my life," he said matter of factly.

"It was the right thing to do," she replied with a shrug.

"Still..."

"You really think I'd leave you to perish on this island?"

"Thank you love...but perhaps I should offer you further gratitude," he smirked, scratching behind his ear and then nodding towards her lips.

"I thought that was what the thank you was for."

"But that's far from all my life is worth to me."

"You sure you could handle it?"

"Perhaps you're the one who couldn't handle it," he said popping the t in a way that broke her resolve.

Grabbing him by the lapels, she crushed their mouths together in a fiery clash of tongues and teeth. She tried to come up for air, only to be pulled back in by his tugging on her upper lip as well as his hand held reverently in her hair. Their heads moved further to the side, trying to deepen the kiss, when a twig snapping in the distance made them finally pull apart.

"That was..." Killian sighed, looking utterly wrecked.

"Definitely not a one time thing," she answered with a smile but had to move back as he leaned in to start things up again, "But later. Neal's here and we need to get back to the others. First we save Henry, _then_ we make out."

"As you wish love," he responded, trailing his fingertips once down the side of her face and pressing a quick kiss to her temple.

"Now lets go get your boy."

 **A/N: They kissed! I promised you they would and I hope you liked the little exchange in dialogue between them from 3x05. Like I said at the beginning, you guys have yet to fail in making me smile so please feel free to review or pm me with anything you want to say and I look forward to seeing you next time for Operation Save Henry.**

 **Stay beautiful lovelies. :)**


	5. The End Of My Days

**A/N: So we're coming to the end guys; just this chapter and then an epilogue, but...I was thinking if my schedule allows it and there's still interest, I might extend into the 3b arc as well. Let me know your thoughts and enjoy this next instalment.**

 **Disclaimer: Yeah...I still don't own anything.**

 **Chapter 5: The End Of My Days**

Coconut pressed tightly against her stomach, Emma marched determinedly back to Neal's cave with the one man in front and the other behind. For this she was grateful, because it meant neither could see the utter turmoil that would surely be clear on her face.

Hook's kiss had ignited something in her that she hadn't felt for a long, long time and, as she had told him, she definitely didn't want it to be a one time thing, _he was worth more than that._ Yet, there was still the issue of Neal being Henry's father. Deep down, she knew that her son would want her to at least try to let them be a family and if anything she owed him that. She loved Neal, she really did, but she wasn't _in love_ with him anymore, there wouldn't be a truly happy future there. _Maybe I could pretend just to make it work_ , she thought already feeling depressed by the idea, especially when a certain pirate's face came to mind.

Being with Neal meant destroying whatever it was that she had with Killian, and she was well aware that doing so would wreck them both maybe for the rest of their lives and he deserved so much better than that.

She was so wrapped up in her musings, she barely noticed their arrival back, until she suddenly found herself caught up in her parents arms and clutched tightly to the point where she could hardly breathe.

"We were so worried about you. Are you okay?" said Mary-Margaret, insistently checking her over for injuries.

"I'm fine Mom, the guys got a bit beat up though by some shadow minions of Pan's."

Looking over David's shoulder, she could see Neal in a similar but altogether less comfortable looking position with his father, but that Killian was stood awkwardly back from all them, flicking imaginary dirt from the tip of his hook. He was withdrawing again, setting himself apart from the rest of the group, who were after all, a family.

"Hey Dad," Emma whispered, gripping her father's arm, "Can you go check on Hook. He had a really close run in with the Shadow and I'm not sure how well he's doing."

Giving her an understanding nod and one last squeeze, David closed the distance between himself and the pirate, initiating some quiet manly conversation that Emma had no hopes of interpreting.

"What's going on sweety?" her mother asked, recapturing her attention.

"Why would you think anything's going on?"

"Well besides the fact that you just got all defensive, you look like you're fighting a war inside your own head."

Emma sighed, sometimes her family were just too perceptive for their own good.

"I kissed him."

"Who?"

"Hook. I kissed Hook." She was trying desperately to be subtle and keep the little conversation quiet, but she could feel Regina edging in closer to hear everything.

"And it meant something," her mother supplied with no trace of surprise or hesitation, "Which is now a problem because of Neal."

"Henry deserves the chance to have a real family, with both of his parents together."

"Maybe; but what about what _you_ deserve Emma. Don't you deserve to be happy?"

Her own happiness hadn't really occurred to her, the focus always being on what was best for Henry and what would make _him_ happy.

"Not if it means that Henry isn't."

She watched as her mother pulled away, a great sadness taking over her eyes as she looked at her baby girl all grown up and so broken by the world that she was unwilling to open up to even the slightest possibility of a happy ending.

"I can't tell you what to do Emma; you're twenty nine and your own woman. But, I think you should consider that maybe what Henry wants, is for _you_ to be happy too. Don't resign yourself to a fate that will only end up hurting you, because that what-if will haunt you for eternity."

Emma knew, knew with almost absolute certainty the path her heart was begging her to choose. But then again, Emma Swan had stopped listening to her heart a long time ago, so that logic and reason would always win out in the end.

"What Henry needs is safety and stability, and..Hook," she stuttered, "Hook can't give me that. He's always going to be called by the sea, or get into a brawl, not to mention his apparent lack of survival instinct. Henry shouldn't lose another person because of recklessness."

"It seems to me that you've made up your mind then," Mary-Margaret sighed, "But remember, it is _never_ too late to turn back. Please Emma, don't rush into this decision; either way someone's going to get hurt, but I'd rather not see you crushed in the process."

Tears were once again threatening to spill and it only solidified how much she hated this freakin' island and the emotional crap it was putting her through. Glancing up, she caught Killian's eye as he watched her from afar with concern. A certain resolve took over his features and he made to cross over to her, but halted when she shook her head at him. In an instant, his blue irises seemed to dull, the spark going straight out of them as his whole body sagged and hunched in. It was a look that she was all too familiar with, the look of utter devastation on a person who had just had all hope wiped away from them in seconds. David reached for his shoulder, but the pirate shrugged him off, turning away to stare into the endless green of the jungle just as Gold cleared his throat.

"We have the Shadow now, so I think it's about time we rescued Henry don't you?" no one responded for the answer was already obvious, "Our plan is relatively simple but has a high risk element. We're going to split into two groups: one will go to get the boy, the other will draw fire."

"Wait," interrupted Emma, "You can't be serious. We're not just going to send people out as canon fodder."

"Actually dearie, we are. Your father already agreed to take on the role as long as there is at least one other beside him. For the purpose of being able to move swiftly and in the right direction through the island terrain, I suggest that the Pirate be the one to join him."

"No!" shouted Emma just as Killian called out, "Fine!"

She whirled around to where he and her father were stood, "You're not doing this, _either of you."_ Hook still wasn't looking at her or anyone, but she could see him shaking his head to disagree with her protests as was David.

"It's the best chance we have of getting Henry, Emma, we'll be okay."

"What am I meant to tell my son if his Grandpa doesn't come back and we need the Jolly Roger to get home."

"I can captain it," voiced Neal, stepping up beside her, "I can get us home."

"See Swan, no need for you to care if I don't make it back; there are plenty of others who can take my place." growled Hook.

"That's not what I-"

"But don't you worry you're pretty little head _Princess_ , I'll make sure your father returns. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to prepare myself for what is without a doubt going to be a flat out sprint to evade death's arms."

Still not looking at anyone, he ripped his sword from where Neal had stuck it in the ground, and stalked away, trying to maintain the cold facade even though he was shattering on the inside.

~E&K~

Neverland was eerily quiet he noticed as he sat on an old, withered tree stump. It was almost as if the island knew there was a battle coming, making this the calm before what was sure to be one hell of a storm. Killian used the silence to try and reign in the voices screaming in his head. Three centuries worth of demons, clawing away at his sanity, telling him how worthless he was, how little he mattered, how no one would ever love him. _Poison,_ that was the word of choice. He poisoned everyone around him until they up and left. His mother in child birth, his father who didn't want him and found a new family, Liam whom he goaded into death, Milah who he had stolen and then failed to save; and now Emma. He was a fool, he thought, a stupid love-sick fool, kidding himself into believing that _that kiss_ actually meant something, that there was the possibility of more, that she could be his home after so long at sea. (figuratively and literally)

His rings pressed harshly against his face, as he dug the palm of his only hand into his eye, willing the dampness that was forming there to go away. It was time to come to terms with his fate. He would help her save her boy and return her father, but once it was over, _if_ he was even still alive...that would be it. He and the Jolly Roger would sail out of Storybrooke and out of the lives of these heroes, a band of people he could never fit in with, out of the thoughts of Emma Swan forever, even if her image would stay with him until his dying day.

It was time to say goodbye to Killian Jones, this time for good, and welcome back Captain Hook; the villain that he truly was.

A rustling of leaves to his right made him bolt up and bring out his sword, only to have it level with David's throat.

"Whoa there! It's only me. If you're ready come on..it's time to go."

Somewhat reluctantly, Killian trailed the Prince back to where all of the others were still gathered; tightening shoes, belts and sheaths, weapons poised at the ready. They appeared to be discussing their attack plan, but it faded away and was replaced by a solemn silence as the two men rejoined them. David was instantly swept up by his wife and daughter, while Killian received nods from Neal and Regina, accepting the basic gratitude and expecting nothing else, that is until Mary-Margaret broke away and approached him.

"Take care of my husband," she pleaded with him, "Make sure he comes back to me."

"On my honour milady," he replied, already backing off.

"Oh and Hook," she said, catching hold of his arm so that he had no choice but to stay where he was, locked in her surprisingly firm grip. "Take care of yourself too," the ex-bandit told him with a smile, one that he tried to return but felt as if it came out as more of a grimace, finally succeeding in pulling away from her and the maternal pull he felt when she squeezed his arm just a little tighter.

"Your Majesty," he called out to David who was in some back slapping union with Baelfire, "Times wasting, I believe we have some demons to outwit." The Prince nodded firmly before leaving his wife with one last kiss and taking out his sword to mirror the pirate's own stance.

"Lets do this," he stated as the two walked side by side into the tall shadows cast by the trees and towards Pan's camp. The further away they got the harder it became for Killian to ignore the fact that he hadn't said goodbye to Swan, but also that she had made no move to approach him either. With them all standing on the knifes point and death only one slip away, he knew that what he would regret more than anything else that had happened in his extremely long life, was never telling the damn woman what she did to him. How she made him feel, how she pushed him to be better, challenged him to be more, unknowingly allowed him to fall slowly and irrevocably in love with her. His only comfort was that she would have a future, _a happy one with her family...with Bae,_ and that his last thoughts would undoubtedly be of her.

It was late, but the sun was still high in the sky he noticed; Pan obviously extending out the daylight. _He knew they were coming._ The thought had already occurred to Killian, but now he knew it to be true. The boy had eyes and ears everywhere, it was more than likely that he had known of their plan from the beginning. He glanced sideways at David who had his gaze fixed in the distance, no fear evident on his face. This was a man determined to do all he could to save his family, a man who deserved to have a long, full life trying to learn all he had missed when separated from his difficult daughter and stage sword fights in the street with his grandson. This was a man who deserved a future, but was walking unknowingly into a trap that would likely bring about his death. Killian looked at him and could only see Liam, a man of honour taken from the world far too soon. But he would be damned if David faced the same fate.

"Mate stop," he said drawing the prince to a halt, "I can't let you do this."

"Let me do- Hook, we're wasting time, Pan has my grandson and I need to get him back."

"Exactly; which is why you need to go and join the others."

"What?"

"Look at the sun mate, it's been up far too long. Pan is dragging out the day, he knows we're coming. You and I, we're walking right into his trap. He'll kill us both before the others even get close to the camp. If you leave now I can draw them off with a move they won't be expecting and you can warn your family before they all walk into a massacre."

David could only stare at him in horror, but he could see the truth of his statement reflected in the other man's eyes.

"They need you mate, they need you to get back home; that's not going to happen if you're with me."

"But if I leave now, you won't make it back home either."

Killian let out a humourless chuckle, "What home would that be then? Storybrooke, nothing for me there Dave. My home has been, and always will be, the Jolly Roger, so do me a favour and take care of the old girl for me."

"Hook I-"

"You don't need to say anything, just get Henry and the others and leave, don't worry about me."

Surprisingly, David yanked him into a firm hug, "You are an honourable man Killian Jones."

"Don't go telling anyone, I can't have you destroying my reputation. Oh and Dave, one last thing," he said, pushing the Prince away to make sure he headed in the right _(safe)_ direction and handing over a smallish gold coin, the one from the giants lair, "Give this to your daughter and tell her from me that she's the most infuriatingly stubborn woman I have ever known, but I would have loved her to the ends of my days given the chance. _Actually_ , considering this is the end of my days, just tell her I love her and that my last thoughts will be of her lips."

"I don't know whether to punch you or hug you again," said David with a tremble in his voice.

"Just go, and make sure she's happy Dave, I can rest peacefully then."

The Prince did hug him again, thumping him hard on the back a couple of times before stepping back and rushing off to find his family. Killian cleared the lump from his throat and rolled his shoulders once. He'd allowed himself one last moment of weakness, of regret, but now it was time to put on his mask. It was Captain Hook that strode on and swung into Pan's camp with as much dramatic flair as he could muster.

"All right boys!" he yelled at the Lost One's who had jumped up and started to close in on him, "Lets play!"

~E&K~

Emma paced anxiously back and forth, waiting with anticipation for the guys fifteen minute head start to be up. Gold and Regina were lighting and extinguishing fireballs in close succession, Neal watching the dancing flames that they conjured in their hands whilst fiddling with the handle of the sword his father had handed over. Mary-Margaret was testing the stretch of her bow, between trying to discreetly wipe away the tears from her husbands goodbye.

There were five minutes to go and the nervous energy hanging in the air was so thick, it could be cut with a knife.  
Two minutes left and the sounds of someone moving at speed towards them caused them all to close ranks and hoist their weapons; only to drop them almost instantaneously when David barrelled back into their clearing.

"He knew...Pan knew," David panted, trying to catch his breath.

"Pan knew what? Where's Hook?" Emma demanded, the pirates absence palpable.

"He knew we were coming, Hook realised that was why the sun was still up. He's back at the camp, said he would take on the Lost Boys and sent me back here to help you instead."

"He's taking them on alone!" Emma shouted, "Why would you let him do that? He's going to get himself killed."

"I know that Emma and I'm sorry, but Hook knew what was going to happen, what he was getting into, so he asked me to deliver something to you."

David then pulled out the giant's coin handing it over to his daughter, who snatched it up and tried to stifle a cry. "I don't know the significance of the coin but it comes with the message that ' you are the most infuriatingly stubborn woman he has ever known, but that he would have loved you to the ends of his days. _Although_ , considering he thinks that this is the end of his days, just to tell you he loves you and that his final thoughts will be of your lips.'"

Emma was full on sobbing now, hot, angry tears streaming down her face as she clutched the coin, _their coin,_ to her chest.

"I...I d-didn't even..g-get t-to say goodbye," she wailed, "We have to stop him, we need to get him."

"Emma no," said Neal getting in her way.

"Move Neal, or I swear to god I will make you move."

"Emma, he's doing this so we can rescue Henry, that's the plan, that's what he wants. Don't let his sacrifice go to waste. We need to get our son, now."

"But...but-"

"No buts Miss Swan," Regina said stepping in, although there was slightly more sympathy in her eyes than Neal's, "Henry is our priority, but should we get him and defeat Pan, then we can search for Hook."

Her mother sidled up to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Emma opened her fist and glanced down at his final gift, taking her strength from it. Though he was not there, Killian was always supporting her in some way or other on the island. This was his last wish, his last push for her to do what she came to do and rescue her son even if the cost was his own life.

"First Henry, then Hook," she stated, daring anyone to challenge her, but the look in her eyes meant she would meet no resistance as she followed the path to her boys.

~E&K~

Branches whipped around and slapped him in the face as he pushed himself even harder to out run the pack that was following closely on his tail. For his quickly formulated plan to work, he needed to be able to over look the sea, specifically where the Jolly was docked so that he could ensure that the Charming's got away. However, his vantage point needed to be far enough away so that the Lost Boy's couldn't hasten down there and prevent their escape. Hence his current zig-zagging, attempting to confuse his enemy before ending things on the cliffs over looking the Never-Sea.

An arrow flew slightly too close to his face for his liking and he once again picked up the pace, a smirk overtaking his features as he spotted a trap up ahead (one of the boys own invention.) He managed to neatly dodge it, swiping his sword through the tripwire and hearing the satisfying groans of the people he had hit.

The trees began to thin and he could hear the ocean, the end was coming nearer, but he didn't slow until he burst forth onto the grassy plain that led to the cliffs edge. Wheeling around, he raised his sword to face the remaining Lost One's that had managed to keep up on his sprint through the jungle.

"Not bad... _for an old man,_ "growled Felix as he spat on the ground only making Killian grin.

"I could say the same for you, what are you now 400 years old, give or take a decade. That's older than me, why you're practically an adult."

" _Take that back,"_ hissed the boy.

"And with all your responsibilities around the camp, you're basically a father to these boys."

" _Stop it."_

"If anything Felix..you're more grown up than I am."  
That was the last straw for the old man trapped in the teenagers body. He let out a bellowing roar and charged the smirking pirate.

"ENOUGH!"

The two about to lock in a duel, stopped dead and looked over to where Pan had just materialised clutching a familiar figure by the tops of his arms.

"Henry," Hook called, catching the lads attention, although he seemed to be surprised that it was Captain Hook speaking to him.

"You didn't play fair Captain," Pan drawled, preventing him from saying anything else, "Figuring out that I had figured out your plan and then going on a rogue mission to get yourself killed so the rest of your hopeless band could rescue dear old Henry here. Bad form, messing up my scheme but it's no matter. In fact, this just makes it all the more interesting. Now I have two hostages."

Pan snapped his fingers and vines suddenly sprung from the ground, wrapping tightly around Hook's body, so that, try as he might, he couldn't struggle free.

"There now that's much better. Boys, grab the Captain would you and hold him right there by the edge of the cliff, nice and precarious, that's it. And make sure he's hidden from sight. Henry you stay right here by my side..and, if I'm right, your mother should be joining us any second now."

True to form, the rescue team soon emerged from the trees, headed up by Emma and Regina with fire I their eyes (and hands in Regina's case.)  
"Mom! Mom!" shouted Henry, tugging fruitlessly against Pan's hold.

"Look at this," announced Pan, "One big, happy family reunion. Lets see, we're got mom- _or should I say moms?-_ dad, two grandpas, grandma and great grand father...or have you not told them the truth Rumple."

All eyes flicked to Gold, and if looks could kill, Pan would have probably been incinerated several times over. "Everyone," growled the Dark One, "Meet my father."  
Stunned silences and questioning gazes filled the air, but there was no time to linger on their already fucked up family tree.

"Give me my son!" yelled Emma, advancing on the boy who grinned and whipped out a knife, pressing it against Henry's throat, making everyone advance in fear.

" _Uh, uh, uh_. Not so fast Emma, did you really think it would be that easy? No. That's not the game works. Now, here's the deal. I will give you your son back _and_ a bit of a head start...but, well, it's gonna cost you."

"Whatever the price is I'll pay it," she said determinedly.

"Oh really? I was hoping you'd say that," jeered Pan, "Boys!"

Emma looked over to Pan's huddled tribe, watched as they all stepped apart, revealing the bound up pirate in their midst.

"Killian!" she shrieked.

"Swan! Don't listen to him, just-" he was cut off by one of the boys hitting him hard in the stomach with a thick branch, so that he doubled over in pain.

"Leave him alone! Get off him!"

"Ah, but you said you would pay the price Emma and this is it," Pan said, moving into her line of sight and blocking her view of Killian. "You can take your son with you right now, but then the our lovely captain here will be taking an unfortunate tumble off these cliffs." To emphasise his point, the Lost Ones shoved Killian a little so he teetered dangerously on the precipice catching him just before he fell.

"So what's it going to be saviour? Your son, or your pirate?"

Emma's eyes flicked back and forth between Henry and Killian, she knew what her choice was the second the question was asked, but she couldn't find it in herself to voice the answer.

"Emma love, look at me," she heard Killian call out to her and lifted her gaze to meet his electric blue one. "You know what to do. We all know what you need to do. It's okay."

"But...but we're not done."

"Aye love we're not, there is so much I want to tell you. Maybe your lad can make up some of my adventures for you to enjoy, as long as I sound dashing I'm okay with the forgery."

"I don't want you to go," she cried, desperate to somehow stop this.

"And I don't want to go, but then again...to die will be an awfully big adventure."

Her tears were back and she could see a few lone ones escaping down his own cheeks. "I'll be watching over you Swan, I love you."  
With a terrible sob, she tried to reach out to him, but Pan blocked her way again, "Your choice Emma. What. Is. Your. Choice?"

Behind his back, the boys were already undoing Killian's bonds and holding him on the cliffs edge, but he still had the nerve to grin that same old pirates smile and wink in her direction just as she spoke.

"Henry. I choose to save Henry."

Pan cackled, pushed Henry in her families direction and then wandered over to the pirate.

"Goodbye Hook," he crowed and shoved the man full in the chest, so he stumbled back and over the cliff.

" _NO!"_

 **A/N: Cliffhanger's much. Looks as if I'm going to be adding in an extra chapter. As always please feel free to make me smile, I love hearing _(seeing? reading?)_ what you think and I look forward to seeing you all next year.**

 **Have a good day, evening, night where ever you are.**

 **Happy New Year,**

 **Stay Beautiful Lovelies.**


	6. Confessions At Sunset

**A/N: You guys have spoken and the decision seems fairly magnanimous, so I am happy to announce this fic will be extending into an AU of 3b. With school and Undisclosed Desires on the side, updates will be less regular, but I promise to try and help you through this hiatus. Fair warning, I may have made myself cry a little bit while writing the setting sun section and then the talk with Henry on the beach.**

 **Disclaimer: Is it mine...No, no it's not.**

 **Chapter 6: Confessions At Sunset**

" _NO!"_

Emma's scream tore from her lungs and into the open air, causing the previously celebratory Lost Boys to cover their ears. Her entire body began to shake until her vision was blurry and she could just about make out the figures of everyone else assembled jolting around. Only then did she realise that it was actually the ground beneath her feet trembling; but the source of the sudden earthquake was _her_.

She could feel her magic fighting its way to the surface and flowing from her fingertips, seeking out the source of her pain, the reason she was losing control, the _boy_ who had taken her pirate from her. Peter Pan was not looking so triumphant now as tendrils of white light sought him out and wrapped around his body, leaving him frozen in place.

"You're not coming after us Pan," she hissed, her voice sounding unlike anything she'd ever heard before. It was empty, void of emotion yet filled with so much anguish. "The game is changing. No head start, just us leaving and you being left here until we're gone. And if any of you," she said, addressing the terrified looking Lost Ones and then softening her tone, "If any of you want to have a home again, we can take you with us. I'm sure Hook has- _I mean..._ I'm sure there's plenty of room aboard the ship. However, if you stay and you get in our way, I'm certain the Dark One and the Evil Queen will have qualms in eradicating you as an opponent."

"Don't listen to her boys," Pan choked through the veil of her magic, "She'll hand you over to your dooms at the hands of those two monsters for killing her precious pirate. Tell me Emma, how did it feel knowing you couldn't save him? How did it feel to have to watch as he fell? How did it feel to lose him now knowing how he felt and realising you can never have a future, never answer that what-if, _never, ever_ see him again." The earth began to crack violently and rocks could he heard dropping down the cliff and into the sea below. In her minds eye she could see the ground opening up and swallowing Pan whole, and it seemed as if this imagining was about to become reality if not for a strong set of arms coming around her from behind.

Her first thought was that it was Killian, somehow having miraculously appeared back unscathed, with his usual smirk plastered across his face. The hope made her spin around quickly only to have the smile fall from her face when she saw it was actually David holding her. It was too much and entirely not enough at all. Her lower lip trembled and she collapsed into her father, a rush of magic exploding out of her and quelling some of the unnatural light. The sun began to set and the shadows lengthen as she sobbed.

"D-dad," she howled, pulling herself closer to burrow into his warmth.

"I know sweetheart I know. I'm so sorry, _so very sorry._ He was a great man, _a true hero_ and a good friend."

"He-he loved me."

" _Loves_ you Emma. Not even death can put an end to love."

His gentle rocking reminded her of the movement of the Jolly Roger, which she could still just about make out, silhouetted against the waves. The ship waiting for her Captain, her Captain who would never come home. Emma knew she knew next to nothing about sailing other than what Killian had taught her in haste so she could help be a part of their six man crew, and that really the ship should go to Neal who would actually be able to control her; yet, not so deep down, Emma yearned to keep the Jolly for herself, to have that final connection to him and make sure she was properly looked after and treated like the lady Killian always claimed she was.

The ship served as another reminder; they needed to go home. Henry, who had been standing behind her this whole time, observing his mother's break down, needed to get back to Storybrooke after what must have been nearly two weeks cooped up with Pan in this hell hole.

Thankfully it seemed, her mother had gathered those who were to come with them and was standing with everyone else in a tight knit group around Regina who would probably poof them down to the beach where their rowing boats were. It made the whole thing easier. One last glance at Pan still roped in her magic and Felix, the only Lost One to remain by his side, before allowing David to tug her over to the others. She gazed momentarily at the setting sun, how the beams danced on the crest of the waves of the Never-Sea and then at the last place she had last seen Killian Jones. She saw his smile, the real one not the feral or sarcastic one, and his ocean eyes looking at her as if she were everything, his overly expressive hand reaching up to scratch at that damn spot under his ear before winking and blowing her a kiss that she caught and pressed to her cheek, eyes closed. When she opened them, his ghost was gone, so she turned once more into her father's waiting arms whilst also clutching her sons hand and sending them off with a muffled, "Lets go."

~E&K~

They landed in a swirl of purple smoke just off the edge of the beach where everything had began. Where they'd decided to work together as heroes, villains, saviours and pirates, where Emma had taken control and where she'd learned that _he_ 'actually quite fancied her from time to time when she wasn't yelling at him.' Everyone hurried off and onto the sand to prepare for the launch of the little boats, but Emma only wandered a short distance before stopping and sitting where she ended up near the shore, Henry tucked close to her side and trying to ignore the ghost she saw walking the boards of the Jolly Roger in the distance.

"Did you love him too?" her son asked, breaking their bubble of quiet, "Captain Hook, did you love him?"

"I think I could have done if we had the time. You would have adored him you know," she told him with tears filling her eyes, "He undoubtedly would irritate the whole family by trying to turn you into a pirate and filling your head with his stories...so many stories that I've never heard. And the Jolly, you'd probably wrap him around your finger and convince him to take you sailing every weekend on that ship, _she's a real marvel_. He did so much for me, _for us._ I wouldn't have you here with me right now if it wasn't for him. He deserves more than this, deserves to be remembered. Would you mind maybe tonight if I tell you about how he fought off a Bandersnatch and then saved my life in a lost one attack."

"I'd really like that Mom. He sounds like a great guy."

"He was Henry, he really was."

They returned to sitting in silence as night drew closer, their new companions hastening to fill the boats with some of the Neverland style food to last them the journey back. At some point, Mary-Margaret shuffled over and took a seat on Emma's other side, wrapping an arm protectively around her daughters shoulders and joining them in watching the transition of the sky from pale gold, to pink, to red, to navy and steadily approaching pitch, the stars popping out; the second one to the left casting a welcoming glow, calling them home. Someone had lit the lanterns and Neal wandered over holding one aloft.

"The boats are nearly set, and I was just wondering, before we left Emma, if maybe we could have a talk about us?"

"Are you kidding?" was her mono-tonal reply.

"She just lost Hook," added her mother.

"I know and I'm sorry Ems, but you need to think about our arrangement for when we get back to Storybrooke."

"I don't _need_ to do anything."

"But Henry-"

"Is right here," he piped up. "Look, I know you two have a difficult past and I want you to know I have no expectations for you two getting back together. I like things how they are at the Loft and my other Mom's; can't be just stick with that for a while until everything is sorted out."

Emma smiled down at him, "Of course kid, whatever you want, _right Neal?_ " The warning there was evident and so he simply forced a tight lipped smile and went to help finish things up with the boats that were now all set.

"Come on kid, lets get back to the ship and then go home." The two jumped to their feet and joined the queue of others squeezing themselves tightly into the pair of boats, saving themselves time by having Regina and Gold launch them with magic rather than the awkward pushing team needed, and then said magic continued to propel them along, gently skimming the surface of the waves until they came to rest against the starboard side of the Jolly Roger. Individually they started to pull themselves up the side ladders until the last body thumped down onto the deck and a voice called out,

"Bloody ingrates. Does nobody ask permission to come aboard anymore?"

~E&K~

 _With a terrible sob, she tried to reach out to him, but Pan blocked her way again, "Your choice Emma."_

 _Behind his back, the boys were already undoing Killian's bonds and holding him on the cliffs edge, but he still had the nerve to grin that same old pirates smile and wink in her direction just as she spoke._

" _Henry. I choose to save Henry."_

 _Pan cackled, pushed Henry in her families direction and then wandered over to the pirate._

" _Goodbye Hook," he crowed and shoved the man full in the chest, back and over the cliff._

Killian fell, the jagged rocks at the bottom of the cliffs, rushing up to meet him. The wind whistled through his hair bringing with it the smell of the sea and the cries of the birds; it was a strange bit of peace to find before his end. Or so he thought.

" _NO!"_

The scream split the air, all too familiar to him. Somewhere up there, Emma was screaming, possibly hurt, possibly in danger. He didn't know, but he needed to. Survival instinct kicked in, or rather the instinct to protect his Swan. But he was still falling, far closer to death now than before. In one last ditch attempt and with a hasty plea to whatever deities were out there, Killian swung his arm out and around, digging his hook into the cliff face. At first, gravity continued to drag him down, but then suddenly, it caught and his body jolted to a stop. Glancing down, he saw he was hovered only around six feet above the jagged ground, one particularly nasty piece of stalagmite like stone, thrusting upwards, precariously close to his dangling feet. An immense sigh of relief left his lungs as he leaned his forehead against the stone wall in thanks.

Tilting his head back again, he began to contemplate which combination of rocky outlets would get him up the cliff fastest. _Why is it,_ he wondered, _whenever I find myself with Swan, I'm inevitably trekking through some woods or scaling some monument of the land._ Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand up until he found a grip and started to pull his body back to the top of the cliff. He'd only covered around three feet when the world started to of loose shingle and chunks of boulder started to rain down on his head, nearly impossible to avoid. Then, there was one particularly loud, ominous cracking sound and he chanced a glance upwards, only to see a giant part of the cliffs headland start to fall away.

With no time to think, he launched himself from his perch, twisting his body in mid-air in order to make a smooth dive into the waters below. Surfacing quickly and moving his arms and legs to keep afloat, Killian took in his surroundings and the distinct lack of a near by bay that he could swim up to, the closest one would be where his life boats were grounded from their first arrival. He had two options: one was too return to the beach and hurry up the steep incline, weaponless and exhausted but possibly making it in time to save Emma. _Or,_ he could swim the shortish distance to the Jolly Roger, grab a sword, possibly some water and _then_ figuring out a way to get back to the others.

Before he could make his choice however, a warm gust of wind that seemed to pulse out from where he had previously been standing, washed over his face and pushed his whole body back from the strength of it. It felt oddly welcoming whilst also making his heart clench in sorrow, a feeling he had known once already on this island; the time Emma had let go of her magic after the fight with Gold. _It was her,_ he realised, Emma's magic once again vibrating in the air, she must have done something. _(hopefully to Pan)_ More importantly though, it told him that she was alive and presumably she and her family were in control of the situation with Henry carefully positioned safely within their ranks.

Grinning and silently congratulating his Swan on her good form, he spun in the water and began the tedious front crawl journey back to his ship, praying that the mermaids weren't hanging around in the cove. Killian could feel the temperature of the water dropping as night began to close in and pushed himself harder until, with a final stretch off his arm, his fingertips brushed the well worn wood of the Jolly's hull.

"Hello my darling girl," he whispered to the ship who creaked in response to his words, bobbing up and down with the ebb and flow of the tide. "It's good to see you again, but I know Swan would have looked after you for me." The ship groaned again and the rigging flapped making him chuckle. No one ever believed that the Jolly was as alive and feeling as he claimed her to be, but they tended to forget she was made from enchanted wood and had a history of tending to make things difficult for those who were hard on her.

His already heavy coat was now weighed down with sea water, making it ten times harder to climb the ladder back onto the deck although he eventually succeeded only a little (a lot) out of breath. Once safe and on his home, he sagged and took a couple of minutes to just close his eyes and revel in the feeling of being alive, running his nails through the grooves of the planks beneath him. But there was no time for resting, he needed to get back to his Swan, only it seemed that once again she was intent on outdoing him. Emerging from the trees and onto the beach he saw them: David, Mary-Margaret, Regina, Gold, Neal, Henry, what appeared to be most, if not all of the lost boys, _and finally Emma._ He was desperate to wave or call out to her but knew his voice would be lost in the wind and that she was having an intense discussion with her boy looking at the sky rather than the sea. Longing flared up within him as he watched her, only just able to make out the shape of her hunched over figure and the long, golden locks she let flow freely down her back.

Resting his forearms against the ships side, he gazed at the woman he loved, even as the darkness came and stars popped out so that he could only make out the blurred edges of her movements; even then she was beautiful. The groups lanterns burst to life at one point and seemed to move body-lessly to and fro along the beach before all centring around two points (the row boats he assumed) and then drifting out onto the sea. His excitement built as they grew closer and closer, until he could here voices and people making their way up to join him. Dozens of sets of feet landed on deck, yet none seemed to notice he was there, so he took it as an opportunity to make an entrance. When he heard the final thump and then silence, he moved forward to the front of the Quarter Deck and called out,

"Bloody ingrates. Does nobody ask permission to come aboard any-more?"

~E&K~

Emma turned as if in slow motion to the point where the voice had echoed from, using the raised lanterns to see better in the darkness, although it felt as if the brilliant flash of white teeth was enough to light up the space around them.

He was standing there, in all his leather clad glory; slightly damp, with tousled hair and his eyeliner a bit askew, but alive. His cheeks were dimpled, eyes alight and eyebrow quirked in that ridiculous manner of his. Unconsciously, she felt her feet propelling her forward through the crowd that easily parted, and up the stairs, freezing at the top as she took him in once more.

"Killian?" It came out as a question despite her intentions and the the fact that she already knew the answer.

"Did you miss me?"

In an instant she was striding over to him and her hand cracked across his cheek, drawing a sharp intake of breath from their assembled audience.

"Ow! What the bloody hell was-"

But, before he could finish his sentence, she flung her arms around his neck with such force it sent them both stumbling backwards.

"I told you. I told you never to do that to me again," she sobbed into his neck, "I told you to _stop_ trying to get yourself killed, not go out on some solo suicide mission. You were gone and I didn't even get to say goodbye..I didn't..I...I" her words faded out with the crack of her voice as she pressed him tightly against her, so that their bodies were connected at nearly every possible point.

"Sssh love, ssh. I'm sorry, you needed your family Emma, you needed your son. I'm so sorry, but I would do it all again in a heart-beat if it meant you getting your boy back." This only served to make her sob even louder, her tears soaking through his already wet shirt, adding to the salt water gathered there.

"You are an idiot Killian Jones, a _colossal_ idiot. I need my family, yes... _but I need you too."_

"You've got me love, always had me, from now until forever. Even if you don't want to be with me, I will never leave your side again, _I promise_."

The pair continued to sway on the spot for a bit, revelling in each others presence, until Emma pressed her chin to his shoulder so she could shout out,

"Henry, can you come over here. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Henry of course was quick to move away from Regina who gave him an encouraging nod and slight push, so that he could scamper up to join his other mother and the pirate by the helm.

"Henry," Emma said with one hand on his shoulder and the other clutched around Killian's waist, " _This_ is Killian Jones, although you probably know him better as Captain Hook. He's the reason we're all here together right now." The young boy briefly scrutinised the couple in front of him before shrugging and throwing his arms around both of them in a tight hug.

"Thank you," he whispered, gazing up at Killian, "Thank you for coming here and helping my mom and..well I guess, for giving up your life for me."

"It was an honour young sir, really. Now, hows about you give me a hand captaining this scurvy lot so we can get off this blasted island for good hmm?"

"Really?" Henry's eyes lit up with all the excitement an eleven year old could have when given permission to take charge of a pirate ship. Killian and Emma nodded and grinned as he ran to the top of the steps and yelled,

"All hands on deck you filthy cockroaches. Captain Mills is in charge now. so step to!"

"Jones!" David whined loudly, "Stop trying to turn my family into Pirates." Everyone laughed at the Prince's exclamation so only Emma heard Killian's whispered,

"Not a chance."

 **A/N: HE'S ALIVE! Did you honestly doubt that he would be back? Killian Jones is everything. I sincerely hope you are happy with the development and I look forward to seeing you next time for our trip back to Storybrooke, although with season 3b coming, it's not going to be all smooth sailing.**

 **Happy new year again and remember to stay beautiful.**


	7. Sky of Stars and Sea of Clouds

**A/N: It's been a while is a freakin' understatement, it's been six months of practically zero time, writers block and other stories but I'm back.  
I am so grateful to you all for sticking it out, this is something I intend to continue, I just need a bit of patience.**

 **Discalimer: I own zero things.**

 **Chapter 7:Sky of Stars and Sea of Clouds**

It was a scramble on deck of the crew hastening to follow 'Captain Mills's' orders.  
Lines were secured, sails raised, Henry's pirating terms being driven by Killian who stood at the helm with Emma still clutched tightly in his arms. When all was set, he gently loosened his hold and steered them carefully out of the bay, away from the hell-hole of an island and into more open waters. The Lost Ones watched in awe as the adults worked to free them from what had been a prison that held them, in some cases, for centuries; they stayed quiet, looking as if they were trying to absorb everything that was going on on the ship.

Eventually Killian gave the word to Regina that it was time for them to attach the shadow. Everyone held their breath as Neal stepped up, coconut clutched in his hands, standing in the middle ground between the main sail and the Queen and Gold. As Regian shouted 'Now!', Neal lifted the lid and the shadow flew out, only to be hit by a blast of magic from the Sorcerers, that drove the beast screaming backwards until it dissolved into the cream coloured clothy, turning the whole thing an inky black.  
"Take us home Captain," called David from his place by the bow, clutching a piece of rope and his wife to his side as the Jolly Roger began to pick up speed in the water.  
The lost ones huddled together, the Dark One held on to the railings at the side, Neal hung onto a piece of rigging by the mast and Emma held Henry to her stomach, in the space between Killian and the wheel, as they slowly lifted out of the water.

A huge shout of celebration went up from the group as they soared above the clouds, leaving Neverland out of view behind them, sailing (or flying) at the second star to the left, straight on til morning.

Killian released the pair who he had been keeping safe on their ascent, and left them to rush down the stairs into the waiting arms of their family. The young lad was seized up by his adoptive mother, who peppered his face with kisses, while Emma was embraced tightly by her grinning parents. He smiled at the happy scene before him, a sense of pride filling his being that he was partially responsible for the joy of the Charming's and their extended family. Somewhere, he knew Liam was smiling at him, at Killian Jones who had finally completed his heroes journey.  
He was so caught up in his thoughts, that he almost didn't notice the Prince's arrival at his side.

"Not bad for a rescue operation if I do say myself," David said, taking in the view from the vantage point at the helm, "We couldn't have done it without you Jones."  
"Don't go getting soft on me now Dave, what will I do without having to dodge you're physical and verbal jabs?"  
The Prince snorted not so charmingly, "With the looks you've been giving my daughter for quite some time now, I would say you don't have to worry about me not wanting to hit you anymore."  
"Good to know," Killian responded jokingly, looking down at the blonde woman who had captured his heart, currently wrapped up in an animated discussion with her son.  
"You really love her don't you?" David asked, his eyes trained on the man by his side, not quite believing that he was having such a conversation with Captain Hook of all people.  
"More than she'll ever know, though I intend to spend my time trying to show her."  
"My rules are simple then; you break her heart, I break your pretty face."  
"Come now Dave, you'll make me blush," replied the pirate, making the other man huff out an amused laugh, "But in all seriousness, if I ever hurt her, I will gladly take whatever punishment you see fit."

The Prince clapped him on the back as his wife joined them on the top deck.  
"We're so happy you're not dead Killian," she said, her hand coming to rest on his cheek, in such a maternal move that Killian felt choked all of a sudden.  
"A sentiment I share milady."  
The three turned back to take in the view that surrounded them. A sky full of stars above them and a sea of clouds to keep them afloat.  
"Kind of makes me wish I brought a cellphone to Neverland," whispered a dazzled Mary-Margaret, "The people back home will never believe this."  
"I think considering Swan tells me that we are all in fact fictional characters from 'fairy-tale land', I'm sure the reidents of Storybrooke will be able to absorb that you flew a pirate ship after defeating Peter Pan...working with the owner of said ship on the other hand, that they will probably find hard to swallow."

The royals seemed to notice the change in his tone, as they spun a full one-eighty to get a better look at Killian's face.  
"You're a hero, as much, if not more so, than any of us Captain," said Mary-Margaret, "You literally allowed yourself to get thrown off a cliff so that we could save Henry. The people in Storybrooke are...judgemental, to say the least, but they are able to recognise heroism even if it comes from unsuspecting places. Just look at Regina, she saved the town from being destroyed and people will respect her for it despite her past."  
"I can't leave," Killian murmured, "Not when..." his voice trailed off as his gaze became fixed on Emma who had her head thrown back in laughter at something one of the younger lost boys was saying to her.  
"You gave up your revenge mate," said David, "You came back with the bean, you gave us your ship, saved our lives multiple times, and sacrificed everything for my daughter and grandson. Letting go of the past won't be easy, but you can have a home in Storybrooke, a happy one, hopefully as a close friend, or if she says so," he said with a nod to Emma, "Maybe more."  
"I look forward to it," the pirate Captain managed to choke out as the Prince and his Princess walked away to once again join their family.

~E&K~

The merriment had eventually settled down; the heroes had retired to bed after the Queen had managed to conjure up some wine so they wouldn't have the one option of just rum. With the addition of alcohol, they'd become altogether more boisterous, the stories they told becoming more and more fantastical and all together less believable, Killian for one sincerely doubted that David fought off a group of ten ogres with nothing more than a silver spoon and his wits. When the wine had run dry and Neal was staggering as if they were still at sea, they'd finally surrendered to the tiredness that had lingered like a cloud over their heads for the past week and a half.

Killian hadn't engaged much with the party, choosing instead to keep them on course and make sure nothing went awry when they were so close to success. He'd therefore willingly surrendered his cabin to Henry and his mother's giving the Lost Boys free reign over the crew's main quarters now that the women had vacated it. His eyes were heavy, yet he kept them trained on the horizon, on the guiding star as the first signs of morning began to keep their way into the sky.

As the canvas of pitch became awash with traces of orange, yellow and pink, the door to the Captain's cabin was pushed open to reveal the figure of Emma Swan.  
She stood on deck, closing the hatch and stretching; the light that reflected off her blonde curls had Killian fixated like a moth drawn to a flame.  
 _She was beautiful._  
Emma turned, catching his awed look, and smiled sleepily as she sauntered over to stand by the wheel on his right.  
"Remind me never to challenge Regina to a wine drinking contest, she puts that stuff away as easily as you do rum."  
Killian chortled as she rubbed her fingertips against her skull, undoubtedly feeling the effects of last nights celebration. The sound of his quiet laughter made her smile widen as she inched closer.

The uninterrupted morning made her braver, as Killian soon found his arm being lifted to tuck around her shoulders as she snuggled into his chest. The kiss that she left to his sternum was like a burning mark on his skin, a brand that claimed him as hers forever and always.  
"It's hard to believe," she whispered so quietly he almost missed it, "That a few hours ago, I was watching the sun set, thinking that I was never going to see you again."  
Her words made him pull her that much closer to him, his cheek coming to rest in her hair as he brushed his lips tenderly against her forehead.  
"I was so terrified Killian, so terrified at the thought that you were gone forever, that I would never see your smile or hear one of your stupid innuendos ever again. What was more terrifying though, was that I felt like that in the first place."

The statement made him stiffen ever so slightly, his breath catching as the fear that she was about to pull away from him encompassed his body.  
"Swan," he stammered out, "I promise, on my life and my soul, that I will never willingly leave you, I will only go if it is entirely beyond my power- maybe not even then -or if you should wish me away."  
The pause that extended out between them, felt like the longest he'd ever experienced and Killian Jones was over three centuries old.  
"I don't want to run from this Killian," Emma eventually said, peering up to look him in the eyes so he could see the truth there, letting his whole body relax. "I'm not saying that I won't; I've spent my whole life running, so it's kind of second nature, I just need you to be patient with me."  
"Darling," he sighed, tilting his head to rest his forehead against hers, "We have all the time in the world."

Smiling up at him, Emma let her eyes dance to the sky ahead, "It's a beautiful sunrise."  
"Not as beautiful as you," was his simple reply.  
"That was cheesy," she admonished, although the light in her gaze told him that the comment was worth it.  
"And very true."  
As expected, it earned him the traditional Emma Swan eye-roll, but it was followed by a chaste kiss to his lips.

Morning broke across the Jolly Roger, although the brightness of the sun could not compare to the smiles of Emma Swan and Killian Jones.

~E&K~

"What do you mean it's invisible!"  
The loud shout of Regina Mills sent the slightly hungover members of the crew stumbling back, and for those who weren't .i.e. Henry and the Lost Boys; the look of outrage on her face was enough to have them pulling away. Her anger was currently directed at Gold, who stood perfectly still as the torrents of abuse from the Queen's mouth rained over him.  
"Pan may have sent more people like Greg and Tamara to Storybrooke, so I had Belle cast a protection spell around it."  
"A protection spell that means we can't get home. What are we meant to do, fly around on this ship hoping that air traffic control doesn't pick us up."  
Emma snorted quietly and had to hide her grin in Killian's shoulder when Regina turned her glare on her.

"I don't see how this is funny Miss Swan. We are trapped on this boat, and the pirate's life is not for me."  
Killian could feel the dam containng Emma's laughter about to break, so quickly stepped in.

"Your Majesty if you calm down, may I offer up a few points?" A jerky nod was his sign to continue, "Okay 1) This is a ship, not a boat, a bit of respect for the vessel that's helped you retrieve your son wouldn't go amiss. 2) I'm sure the Crocodile wasn't stupid enough to put up a protection spell that he couldn't break as it would keep him away from the woman he loves and 3) Fortunately for you all, I actually bothered to investigate the lay of the new land that I was entering; so, despite the fact that it is invisible, I know the shape of Storybrooke's coast and can thus aim us in that general direction."

Regina took a moment to absorb all this before rounding once again on Gold, "Is he right, can you bust through that spell?"  
"Of course I can, I'm the Dark One not some amateur."  
"Good," snapped the Queen, "Aim away Captain, get us home."

~E&K~

Turns out that Killian was correct, _as usual,_ Emma thought.  
He was able to look at the ground below them and steer the Jolly in the direction of where he believed Storybrooke was. A flick of Gold's hand and they went bursting through the barrier, revealing the docks, the clocktower and the distant signs of Main Street.  
Someone had obviously alerted the town of their arrival, because as soon as Killian landed the ship in a spray of sea water, safely back in the harbour, a loud chorus of whoops and cheers went off from the crowd gathered on the docks.

Their Captain pulled them neatly into the slip and the crew set about quickly docking the ship before connecting the plank that would set them once more on home turf. Henry was the first to go down, quickly engulfed by the friends that had missed him and the extended family desperate to hold him. He was followed by Mary-Margaret and David who were swept away in a wave of dwarves. Emma went next, leading the Lost Boys, who were placed in the care of the all too willing fairies, who were prepared to offer them warm food and a home. Rumplestiltskin strode down to meet Belle with Neal at his side, as the odd little family reunited.  
It was Regina and Killian who hesitated.

"You should go down Your Majesty, your boy will be missing you," said the Pirate.  
"And your Swan will be misisng you," retorted the Queen, before making her descent to stand amongst the people who seemed willing to accept her.  
Killian stood by the railing of his ship, the feeling of being an outsider slamming into him with full force, making him want to retreat below deck and out of the sight of the welcomed heroes. It was Snow's voice that held him in place.  
"And we owe almost all of it to him," she called out, so that every set of eyes turned to Killian where he stood frozen. "Capatin Jones gave up his ship to help us get to Neverland, where he saved our lives more times than I can count. It was because of his willingness to sacrifce his own life that we were able to get Henry back and too are uptmost delight found that he had managed to survive the attempt that Pan made to kill him. He is the true hero."

Killian was so shocked at the genuine tone that flowed through the woman's praise, he fekt his navy training rear it's head as the urge to click his heels and bow took over. Instead he offered a grateful smile that quickly turned to horror when the swarm of dwarves surrounded him and lead him down to the dock, his one hand being shaken and squeezed by people who had previously looked at him with fear and contempt.  
Glancing over the shoulder of Granny, who was fussing over how thin he was, he caught Emma's eye from where she stood smiling over at him with her arm around Henry's shoulder.  
"Welcome to the circus," she mouthed and all Killian could think was that, if this was all the madness that Storybrooke had to offer, he could find it easy to settle in here."

 **A/N: It's a bit shorter than previous chapters, but I got in everything that I wanted to without bringing in any new drama.  
Poor Killian thinking that some eager dwarves is the Storybrooke idea of madness. Up next, things unfortunately have to go to hell...again. So stay tuned.  
Thank you lovelies for hanging on in there and I'll see you soon hopefully xox**


	8. The Scariest Part is Letting Go

**A/N: Hi guys and welcome to my new followers thanks for joining, it means a lot. Just to let you know, the muse has struck and I know exactly where I'm going so I intemd to get the next two chapters (at least) up in the coming couple of days.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

 **Chapter 8: The Scariest Part is Letting Go**

 _Neverland_

The magical bonds placed on Peter Pan by the Saviour, broke just in time for him and his only remaining follower to turn and see the Jolly Roger disappear beyond the clouds, out of their reach.  
" _No, no, no,_ " chanted Felix, stamping his feet on the ground, failing to notice that his boss seemed remarkably calm given their current circumstance, stranded on the slowly dying Neverland without any means of escape.  
 _Or so he thought.  
_ "Relax Felix, you should know by now that Peter Pan never fails," said Pan as he began to amble away from the edge of the cliff and back towards the Dark Jungle.  
"I know you don't, but I fcan't see how we're going to get the chance to punish the Savior now."  
"You forget Felix, that I killed Hook; a double bonus if there ever was one. The Savior is weakened because of the loss of her pet pirate, and there is no one now to come between us that she would willingly give up."

The pair continued through the trees, further away from their camp than they would normally stray with the lack of backup and with Pan's weakened magical state. It was this worry, that lead to his second in command speaking up again.  
"Sir, I know you won't fail, but what is your plan to get off this island?"  
Pan smirked and pointed to a carefully concealed cave that lay ahead of them.  
"My plan," he drawled, "is in there."  
"Some random cave?"  
"Not just ay random cave. Tell me Felix; _do you believe in fairies?_ "

~E&K~

 _Storybrooke_

Emma watched, with a smirk on her face, from the corner booth at Granny's; as Killian's cheeks got steadily redder from the compliments the citizens of the town continued to pay him, and the numerous tumblers of rum that they pushed into his hand with grateful smiles.  
The pirate was so baffled by the positive attention, having only ever been on the bad side of a crowd, that he only seemed able to manage a nervous smile and mumbled thanks. Emma completely lost it as he almost dropped his glass when Granny placed a large kiss on his unsuspecting lips. Killian turned to half heartedly glare at her, but she could see the plea for rescue behind his eyes. Shaking her head teasingly at him, she turned back towards the rest of the table, more specifically Neal, who was sat directly across from her and was watching the interaction between the two.

"It's a good thing that he's settling in," said Mary-Margaret, who had also been observing the scene at the bar with a fond smile.  
"Why?!" replied Neal, a bit too harshly and much too loudly, that it drew many looks from the gathered patrons and a disapproving eye-roll from Regina.  
"Well if he's going to stay here," continued Mray-Margaret as calmy as she could, "he's going to need more friends than just David."  
"Hey," complained the Prince, afronted by his wife's suggestions that his friend needed other _'mates.'_  
"Not that you're not good company dear, but he's used to a crew rather than just one...first mate."

Henry snorted at his grandmother's attempt at pirate lingo, "I'm glad he's staying," he said, "Killian's really cool and promised to take me sailing some time if my mom's say yes."  
"I think we can manage that," answered Regina, as she stroked her sons hair back from his eyes, still not quite daring to believe he was actually safe withing arms reach.  
"Does his father not get a say in this?" asked Neal, still glaring at the leather clad man who was now being offered a plate of pastries by Ruby, "What if I don't say yes to Henry going sailing with him."  
"It would be two against one, right mom," Henry said, turning to Emma.  
"Of course it would kid, Majority rules. If you want to go and Killian is willing, then there's so reason that you can't take the Jolly out, right Neal?"

Her tone left no room for argument, yet the man seemed determined to try anyway.  
"No, not right. If I say Henry's not going, then he's not going."  
"And who gave you that right?" bristled Regina, her Evil Queen style glare shooting across the table.  
"It's my right as a father."  
"Because your two weeks of questionable parenting can match my ten years of experience."  
"At least I'm family by blood, you're just the woman who adopted him."  
Henry muttered something about wanting a drink, and quickly scurried away from the table and out of sight.  
"Nice job Dark One Junior," sneered the Queen, "You've scared your own son away."  
"Me? If anyone scared him off, it was-"  
"Can both of you stop it," Emma hissed, having had enough of the scene they were causing, "This is meant to be a party to celebrate Henry's rescue, and you're ruining it by arguing."  
"There wouldn't be a problem, but you two are insistant that he should be hanging around with that good for nothing, low life, bastard of a pirate!"

The group in the booth had been so absorbed in their conflict, none of them had noticed the quiet that had descended across the diner, the quiet that was now a deafening silence, as everyone heard the words Neal yelled. The only sound to break it, was the noise of the back door closing; and as Emma glanced around, she realised who it was that had left.  
"Good job Neal," she spat, rising from her seat in order to follow the vanished pirate, "What a great way to show your grattitude to the man who willingly sacrificed his life for my son."  
"He's my son too Emma."  
"He'll be your son when you can prove yourself as a father, until then, stay away from me and stay away from Henry unless he says otherwise."  
"Emma you can't-"  
But she was already out of the door, the bell chiming behind her as she practically sprinted down the street to find her Captain.

~E&K~

Killian was sat with his legs spread either side of a low concrete barrier, looking out over the bay of Storybrooke. Once again, he was trying to use the ocean to calm the raging voices in his head that were screaming at him to pack up his ship and leave, because Neal was right, he was just a good for nothing pirate.  
The gentle touch of someones hand on his shoulder, drew him from the cage within his own mind.

He watched through haunted eyes as Emma Swan sat in the space between his thighs, her shoulder against his chest and her head rested on his collar bone.  
"He's wrong Killian," she whispered, fixing her gaze on the same spot on the horizon that he had just been gazing at, "They're all wrong."  
"Who are?" His voice sounded ragged to his own ears, breathing erractic either due to her proximity or the ongoing war in his head.  
 _Probably a combination of the two.  
_ "Neal and the demons up hear," she said, tapping the side of his skull with her index finger, "They're wrong about you."  
"How can you be so sure?" The words cracked as they emerged from his lips, and he couldn't meet Emma's eyes when she rotated her body and raised her hands to cup his face.  
"Because I know you Killian Jones. You are whatever kind of man you choose to be, and right now, you've chosen to be a hero, a man of honour, somebody who fights on the side of good and risks everything for people who showed you nothing but contempt. I'd say that makes you pretty great...at least that's the way I see it."

The last part was mumbled, but he still managed to catch it, placing his large, warm hand over hers, where it still rested on his cheek, and tilting his head to brush his lips against her palm.

"Well then," he sighed against her skin, "Who am I to argue with the beliefs of the princess."  
Emma slapped the back of her hand jokingly against his abdomen, _his very firm abdomen,_ she noticed, but tried not to react and inflate his already sizable ego. Killian just smiled down at her and spun her around.  
With her back now against his chest, his arms clutched gently around her waist and his cheek in her hair; the Saviour and her pirate turned to watch as the sunlight reflected off the waves, the quiet moment bringing a brief respite of peace to their troubled hearts.  
 _Brief,_ being the keyword as from somewhere in the distance, they heard somebody scream at them to 'GET DOWN!' just as the shadow of Peter Pan dived towards where they were sat.

~E&K~

Killian was faster to react than Emma and used his position, wrapped around her, to draw her in closer to his body and roll them away so that she was kept safe beneath him, out of harms way. Once they had come to a stop, the shadow dived again and suddenly, Killian felt the painful ripping sensation in his back that he'd experienced once before in Dark Hollow.  
His cries shattered the air, as Pan's beast tried to tear his shadow from his body.

"Get your demon hands off him Casper," Emma yelled. Killian was confused as to why she had named the thing, and so just managed to move his head in time to avoid the blast of white light Emma shot at its face.  
The thing howled and flew away, "Yeah, who you gonna call?!" Emma hollered as it disappeared from view, laughing to herself as she glanced up at the man still hovering above her who had a confused but amused grin on his face.

"Are you two okay?" cried Mary-Margaret, as she came skidding to a hault beside them, offering a hand to Killian, who pulled Emma up as they went.  
"I think we're fine Mom, you're shadows still intact right?"  
"Aye, it's hanging on in there."  
"Mom that was awesome," yelled Henry, as he tackled the blonde around the middle, "But you do know Casper was a friendly ghost right? And that that was a shadow."  
"Kid, I was being viciously attacked; I think I can be forgiven for not delivering a perfect one liner." She ruffled her sons hair as he detatched himself and then flung his arms around Killian.  
"You saved my Mom, you're really good at that, I think the family should hire you full time."  
"They couldn't afford me lad," the Captain teased, making the women role their eyes, although their gazes softened when he squeezed the boy just a little bit tighter.

From around the corner came David, Regina and Neal; all out of breath having tried to follow the shadow before it could reak havoc on the town. However, the thing had eluded them and they'd had no choice but to have everyone seal themselves inside their homes, so that the creature couldn't get in.  
"Anyone want to explain to me how the evil minion of Peter Pan escaped and is now drifting around my town, doing god knows what?" huffed Regina, hands on her knees.  
"I believe that's fairly obvious."  
The entire group jumped as Rumplestiltskin spoke, appearing in his signature puff of smoke, with Belle at his side, "It means my father has some how made it to Storybrooke."  
"But how?" asked David, "No magic beans, no flying pirate ship, no way to make a portal; how the hell does Peter Pan make it to Storybrooke?"  
"You'll have to ask him that. Come along and we'll see if we can't arrange a meeting."

They slowly made their way through town, lead by Gold, keeping their eyes out for any signs of an incoming attack, until they stood in the junction of Main-Street.  
The roads were quiet, not even a gust of wind disturbing the fallen leaves and loose flyers that littered the sidewalk.  
"You brought us here Gold," said Regina through clenched teeth, "So where's Pan?"  
"I'm right here Your Majesty."

The demonic teenager appeared before them as if from thin air; an unidentified petite blonde woman standing uncomfortably off to his side.  
"Such a warm welcome from Storybrooke's finest heroes and villains. Why the whole families here; Rumple, his unloving son and his little woman, Snow White and Prince Charming, the Evil Queen and her adopted brat...and how could I forget; the bringer of happy endings herself. Tell me Emma Swan how does it feel knowing your adoring pirate is-"  
"Very much alive," growled Killian as he stepped around David to face his old enemy.  
"Hook... _but how?_ I pushed you off that cliff, you- you should be dead!"  
"Lesson to be learned then _boy;_ always make sure you finish the job. Us pirates are wily bastards, and we don't go down easily."

Pan looked momentairly stunned at the turn of events, but it wasn't long before a sinister smirk slowly encompassed his twisted features.  
"Well this is going to make everything ten times more fun. Hook I believe you already know Tinkerbell?"  
As the boy gestured behind him, the woman (now identified) shied away from the nine matching stares that were suddenly turned on her.  
"Tinkerbell...seriously?" muttered Emma, serving to momentarily quirk Killian's lips at the resignation in her tone, before his cold mask fell back into place.  
"Aye, I know the Lady Bell; I'm assuming you got your pixie dust to work then lass?" he addressed the former fairy.  
"Pan, he told me if I believed it would work and that I could leave that hell hole with him," she then rounded on the demon, "You said we were going back to the Enchanted Forest, not that you were going to knock me out while you crushed Felix's heart and cast-"

Her voice was suddenly cut off as Pan raised his hand to choke the air from her lungs.  
"Stupid fairy, you talk too much."  
He used his magic to lift her from the ground and fling her at the group of heroes; David catching her before she collided with the earth.  
"You've been casting spells?" questioned Neal carefully.  
"Not spells my dear Grandson...curses."  
At that very moment, a tremor ran through the ground of Storybrooke, setting off car alarms and sending the assembly stumbling in all directions, until Pan froze them in place with a lazy sweep of his hand.  
"The Dark Curse to be more specific, dear Regina here shouldn't have just left it lying around. Felix was an unfortunate sacrifice, but necessary if I am to become the new King of this land; and lucky you, you're all here to watch as everything that you love and have fought for falls apart. You can kiss goodbye your happy endings."

The spell induced thunder could be heard in the distance, and all that the Nevengers could do was stand frozen, eyes flitting to the sky, to watch as the purple and green lightning clouds of the curse began to close in on the town.  
Pan was laughing manically, his cackle echoing off the buildings, as he revelled in his impending victory.

It was his disturbed glee that was his downfall.

As he laughed, his son broke free of the magic that was holding him and, with a flick of his wrist, the Dark One's dagger appeared in Gold's hand. He stalked over to his father, yanking the man in a teenagers body around, and plunged the knife into his back.  
"We're villains Papa," he whispered, as Peter Pan converted back into his trembling adult self, "And villains don't get happy endings."  
With one final twist of the blade, the two sunk to the ground in a burst of light, and all but the curse's scroll vanished.

Emma staggered forward as the immobilising charm lifted, struggling to find her feet. Her parents were comforting Belle who had collapsed to the ground when her true love vanished, while Neal could only stare at the spot where his father had just been. Regina looked to be in shock, but was able to walk over to pick up the scroll and sending it up in a burst of flame.  
The distant sound of Pan's shadow screaming it's demise reverberated throughout Storybrooke as some of its citizens began to emerge.  
"What's going to happen now?" asked Henry from where he was stood just behind Killian, "Pan's curse, what will it do?"  
"Time will freeze again," said Regina, "We'll be trapped here forever. Rumple's curse had the option of being broken by the Savior; Pan's doesn't. We'll revert back to our cursed selves permanently. Unless..."  
"Unless what?" asked Mary-Margaret as she pulled a trembling Belle to her feet.  
"Unless I can somehow highjack Pan's curse."

Regina's statement was met with silence, she seemed to have created more questions that she'd answered.  
"What would high-jacking the curse do?" said Neal, when it looked as if no one else would speak.  
"Storybrooke would vanish, those born in the Enchanted Forest would go back there; with all their memories of this world, this life, intact."  
Everyone thought it over, not seeing why there was such a dark look on Regina's face until Emma spoke up.  
"Henry..."  
"Will be leaving town with you Miss Swan."

~E&K~

Regina, David, Mary-Margaret, Neal, Belle, the Dwarves, Granny, Killian, Emma and Henry; were gathered beside the loaded bug, which was parked a short way away from the neon painted townline.  
The Queen had explained that, seeing as Emma was the Savior, she could leave and live with Henry in the Land Without Magic, when no one else could. It was accepted immediately that Henry couldn't be alone, and so the group rushed off in different directions to grab everything that the pair would need for their joureny. The resukyt of their task was their current position.

Henry was being passed from person to person as they said a desperate last goodbye. There would be no coming back, as David had said earlier; no magic beans, no enchanted ships, no way to make a portal.  
Pan was right; _they were saying goodbye to their happy endings._  
Emma was allowing Neal one last chance to hold her, for the sake of their past. He let her go with a rough 'Take care of our boy', before handing her over to her parents.  
Snow White and Prince Charming clutched their baby girl tightly, tears streaming down their faces at the injustice of just getting her back, only to have her ripped away once more. David cradled his daughter's head, while Mary-Margaret kissed her cheek and then sorrowfully let her go.  
"Miss Swan," said Regina, pulling her to one side, "If you like, my gift to you could be new memories, a life with Henry where you never gave him up. You'd forget all of this, but at least you'd be happy."  
"Regina no," replied Emma, softly clasping the other woman's hands, "Henry would never want to forget you, your his mother, and I don't want to forget my family. No matter how painful it may be, Storybrooke will always be a part of who we are."  
In a move that wouldn't often be repeated, the two mothers hugged once and then Regina released Emma, to face the hollow blue eyes of the pirate behind her.

Not caring how it looked or who saw them, Emma rushed over and wrapped her arms around him, burrowing into the warm skin of his throat.  
"Emma-" he choked, tucking his face away into her shoulder as he rocked her back and forth, never wanting to let go.  
"It's okay," she murmured, caressing his hair, "It's gonna be okay."  
"You're a terrible liar," was his muffled response, "I never even got to have you, and now I'm going to lose you."  
She clutched at him tightly, fisting her hands in his huge leather coat as he continued to sway and press himself further against her. She knew he was seeking all the comfort that he could in these last few moments, she was as well. What they had was so innocent, so fresh and now, it would be over before it even properly began.

Thunder clapped behind them as the cloud closed in, and it was loud enough that Emma couldn't hear the words Killian whispered to her.

Henry appeared beside her, his eyes equally filled with tears. The young boy gave Killian one last hug that the Captain tried so hard not to sink into as his adoptive mother ushered him towards the car. Before Emma too could turn her back on him completely, Killian caught hold of her hand pressing three quick kisses to it in succession before letting her fingers trail out of reach. His palm dropped, but it was quickly clasped by someone behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see  
Mary-Margaret sobbing as she held onto her husband with one hand and attached herself to Killian with the other.

The trio looked on as Regina kissed Henry's head once more and then closed the passenger door of the bug. The Queen rose and straightened her spine, turning back to face the clouds, shooting up waves of sparking magic from her palms.  
Killian didn't take his eyes off of the yellow vessel in the road, and for this he was grateful, as he could see-  
"Something's wrong," he muttered.  
Inside the car, Emma seemed to be twisting something violently, hitting the wheel in frustration whilst Henry shouted something to her.  
"Something's wrong," he said more loudly this time, catching Regina's attention.  
She looked on in horror as she realised that the Bug had chosen this time _(of all moments)_ to stall.  
"Get them out of there!" she yelled, quickly changing the manner of the spell she was casting.

~E&K~

The last thing Emma saw, was Killian Jones running towards them in her rear-view mirror, as the curse cloud engulfed first her family, then him, then the car and then- _  
There was darkness._

 **A/N: Cliffhanger! I hope you enjoyed. As I said i'm very much in the zone for the next chapter, so hopefully I won't leave you hanginhg for too long. Meanwhile, feel free to drop me a review if you have the time and I'll see you next time.  
Stay beautiful lovelies x**


	9. Waking Up

**A/N: Thank you for all your wonderful reviews, as promised, here is the next instalment. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I think you know by now.**

 **Chapter 9: Waking Up**

 _I love you.  
_ The words flit across Emma's unconscious mind, barely there, little more than a whisper; the same manner in which they were delivered to her.  
Killian's last words to her that he'd pressed into her skin before she was torn away from him, accompany Emma as she slowly rejoins the world of the living.

~E&K~

The blonde rubbed at her temples, trying to alleviate the dull tension behind her eyes from where her head had hit the steering wheel as the curse had hit them.

 _The curse._

Glancing to her left, she sees Henry still passed out with his cheek pressed to the window; in front of them is the empty road and few scattered trees, no bright orange line in sight. Using the wing-mirror to glance behind, Emma gasps as she sees the familiar, green sign.  
' _Entering Storybrooke'_

They were back, or they'd never left; the town was still there despite the fact that Regina had said to them that it would vanish as she used her own magic and countered Pan's curse.

"Henry, wake up," she said, reaching across the centre console to gently shake her son's shoulder.  
He came to, blinking at the sunlight, with a groggy groan leaving his throat.  
"Mom?"  
"Hey kid."  
"What happened? Are we-"  
"We're in Storybrooke."  
Henry threw off his seat-belt and spun in his seat to look out of the rear window, where, in the distance, the top of the clock-tower could just be made out on the horizon.  
"What happened?" he asked.  
"I don't know kid, but I damn well intend to find out."  
With that, Emma turned the key _(now the ignition chose to work)_ put the Bug in reverse, made a three point turn and then set them accelerating back towards the town.

~E&K~

The streets were bustling with activity.  
Emma and Henry watched as the citizens went about their daily routines as if Peter Pan hadn't just tried to curse them all to kingdom come.  
Mr Clark was cashing a purchase at the pharmacy, Marco was fixing the sign at the shoe shop and Ruby was crouched down to change the wording on Granny's specials board.  
All of them turned to look as the little yellow car chugged by, but none of them showed any hint of recognition towards its occupants.  
"What the hell?" Emma muttered, taking a chance and pulling up outside of the diner, killing the engine and gesturing for Henry to join her on the sidewalk.

"Excuse me," she called to catch Ruby's attention, the leggy brunette immediately standing and approaching them with a smile on my face.  
"Hi there, how can I help you?" she asked, "We don't get many visitors here in Storybrooke."  
Emma glanced at her son who mouthed 'Operation Cobra' up at her, before turning his eyes back to the werewolf turned waitress.  
"My names Henry," he siad, "And this is my mom Emma, we've just moved here from...um..."  
"Boston," Emma filled in, "Our apartment got practically destroyed in a building fire, so we thought we'd look for somewhere where we could have a fresh start. Any chance you know where there's someplace we could get a room for a while?"  
"My Granny actually owns an inn as well as this place," she jerked her thumb back towards the neon sign-posted diner, "Best grilled cheese in the state of Maine. If you come through now, I'll book you in."

The pair grabbed their belongings from the backseat of the Bug, mumbling an excuse about fire damage when their unnecessary escort commented on their general lack of possessions. Hefting it all around the side alley, Ruby signed them in and handed over a couple of room keys to Granny's apartment suite that looked over the town Square.  
"Welcome to Storybrooke," the brunette chirped on her way out, "Enjoy your stay."  
Emma was about to let her go, when a thought suddenly hit her, "Hey Ruby," she yelled at the retreating woman's back, so that she turned around, "Do you happen to know someone called Killian Jones?"

~E&K~

They were stood on the concrete outside of the Sheriff's Station, Henry bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet, his mother frozen stock still, refusing to move.  
"Come on mom," Henry said, tugging at her hand to drag her reluctantly towards the doors, "It can't be that bad."  
They'd just made it inside, when Emma really dug her heels in.  
"Kid this is a bad idea, we're leaving."  
"But mom we-"  
"No. Now I won't say it again lets-oof!"

As Emma turned to leave, she collided with a warm and muscular barrier; a barrier that smelled extremely familiar and currently had his hand and prosthetic clamped on her hip to prevent her from falling.  
"I am so sorry lass, I wasn't paying attention and didn't realise you were coming the other way. I'm-"  
She could only stare as Killian bumbled on offering her apology after apology for their current circumstance that was really entirely her fault . Her eyes wandered slowly over him, from the same striking facial features, to the new modern world clothes he was wearing.  
 _She would be damned if she couldn't keep him in these jeans once they broke this curse.  
_ Emma was too caught up in her assessment of him to realise that her fingers had been trailing over his chest _(still exposed of course)_ and that he was now stood in silence, staring down at her with something akin to wonder in his eyes.

"Jones is that you I hear prattling on?" a voice boomed from somewhere over Emma's shoulder, although she honestly couldn't care as she continued to gaze up at her pirate.  
"What's all this then?" asked the same voice, but this time from right beside them, making Emma jump away from Killian to face the amused face of her father.  
"Dave," Killian said, more high-pitched than she'd ever heard before, "I was just on my way in when I accidentally crashed into-"  
"Emma Swan," she interrupted, sticking her hand out for David to shake, "And my son Henry."  
"Sheriff David Nolan," her father replied, "This is my deputy, Killian Jones."  
"Pleasure," he said, curling his fingers around hers and fixing those devastating blue eyes on her once again.

A cough from Henry, broke her from her reverie as he tilted his head pointedly towards David.  
"Oh right," she stammered, "We've actually just moved here, and I was wondering if you were hiring."  
David looked at her with disbelief, "How long have you been in town?"  
"About twenty minutes."  
"And you're here asking for a job?"  
"You'd be really stupid not to hire her," Henry piped up, ignoring the admonishing look from his mother for the interuption, "Mom used to catch bad guys all the time when we lived in Boston."  
"You're a bailbonds person?" Killian queried.  
"Bailbonds-Oh um yes."  
She was so used to having to correct people, she hadn't realised he'd addressed her with the proper title.

Killian let out a low whistle, turning towards David, "I'd hire her mate. How many businesses here can claim they have a fully fledged bounty hunter on their side. Plus the Queen won't mind she's always complaining about how we never get any paper work done, an extra set of hands can't hurt."  
"Who's the Queen," Henry asked, already knowing the answer.  
"Regina Mills," Killian replied, "Mayor of Storybrooke, technically our boss but really more of a good friend."  
Emma coughed to cover her choked laughter at the realisation that Prince Charming and Captain Hook were _'good friends'_ with the Evil Queen.  
David gave her an odd look but continued, "I'm sure you have the qualifications Miss Swan, but-"  
"Oh come one Dave; I know what this is about," said Killian with a smirk, "Hiring a woman won't take away any of our time together, you'll still be my number one girl."  
Henry lost it at this, bursting into a fit of laughter as his grandfather glared and tried to get Jones into a headlock.  
"You're such an ass," he muttered, "Very well Emma, I suppose we can make you and addition to the team."

Henry whooped and then followed Killian down the hallway, but not before the pirate had tossed her a quick wink over his shoulder.  
Despite his earlier blundering, he was clearly still his smooth, debonair self underneath.  
Turning back to David, she caught him rolling his eyes at his deputy's antics.  
"Hasn't been with a woman for as long as I've known him that one," he says as they trail the others down the hall, "Most of the women in town would have him if he went for it, and probably some of the men too, but, for all the time he spends at the Rabbit Hole, he never brings anyone home."  
It was strange to hear her father talk about the man he'd punched in the face about three weeks ago with an obvious deep-rooted affection; this new persona her pirate possessed, intrigued Emma to know end.  
"You're telling me that _that,"_ she said gesturing to where Killian was leaning against a desk with his hand rested on his belt, chatting to Henry as if his life was a  
photo-shoot, "Doesn't have some woman every other night?"  
"He flirts sure," David shrugged, leading them into his (what was actually her, but he didn't know that yet) office, "I'm pretty sure it's just second nature to him, but he's like a freakin' monk, keeps telling me he'll know her when he sees her, and until then, he's happy with the family he's got."  
"His family?" Emma asked, confused seeing as she knew that his only brother was long gone and that his father was out of the picture centuries ago.  
"Me and my wife Mary-Margaret; Regina to a certain extent and then Granny has a habit of taking in strays and so he's like a second grandchild to her after Ruby."

"Sounds like a hell of a man," she said somewhat wistfully as David handed over her new badge.  
"The best I know. Welcome aboard Deputy Swan."

~E&K~

Having procured herself a position at the station, Emma was (reluctantly) taken away from the two other important men in her life, to head down to the school to get Henry administrated. They walked in silence as Emma tried to analyse her interaction with Killian and David.  
There had been no hint of recognition from either of them, which she was expecting, but it didn't mean that it didn't hurt. Her fathers caring mannerisms and the feeling of being wrapped in her Captain's arms had been so devastatingly comforting, although neither of them could know, the effect that it was having on her.

With her badge attached to her belt, she'd vacated David's office with directions (that she didn't need) to lead them towards the school. Her son had still been wrapped up in conversation, but he clearly only had half of the Deputy's focus when she re-entered the room.  
He'd smiled at her from over Henry's head, the same devilish grin that he always wore, the one that pulled on her heartstrings and made her want to kiss it off his stupidly attractive face. Her son seemed to realise he'd lost the full attention of his audience, but with a glance behind him to where his mother was stood, he huffed out a breath and muttered 'typical' to himself. How her eleven year old, who had spent maybe a day and half with herself and Killian, was calling their interactions typical was a bit shocking to Emma; but remembering their heartfelt and very public goodbye a few hours ago, she guessed she couldn't be that surprised.

She was keeping half an eye on Henry as they walked, and the rest of her attention was spent identifying the citizens around them.  
This curse was different, she realised in many ways, Storybrooke had an air of brightness to it that hadn't been around with the original, the people had retained their good relationships with their real friends and family as they would have with their memories in place; but then that was the main issue. They treated each other like they did when the town wasn't cursed, when they were still the people from the Enchanted Forest, so nothing seemed abnormal to them. Everything around them pointed to a happy life in a small town where everyone was friendly and there were no villains to ruin their , all in all, would make it infinitely more difficult to prove that none of this was right. Part of her felt selfish for wanting to take that away from them, she was the Savior, she was supposed to provide happy endings not toss people back into a world of magic and monsters.  
But she missed her family; her mom, her dad, they would want to know her. Regina deserved to remember that she had a son whom she raised for ten years. Killian should know that the woman he loved was still here, that she was fighting for him, and that she could see herself falling in love with him too.

Signing Henry up for school took no time at all. The receptionist was still incredibly friendly and said that he could start tomorrow in Mrs Nolan's class. The mention of her mother, sent Emma's heart beat racing slightly, but it was lesson time and they weren't able to catch a glimpse of her. Instead Henry lead her back into town towards Granny's so that they could discuss their plan to move forward. On their way, they stopped at the pharmacy to grab some snacks and a newspaper; there was no way of knowing how long it would take to break this curse, and, if they were in it for the long haul, making the inn a permanent residence was not a good idea. Henry had always been on at her about getting a place of her own in Storybrooke, she couldn't very well live with her parents for the rest of her life, especially with their fondness for making tacos. The real-estate market wasn't exactly flourishing, but there were enough properties around that they should be able to find something suitable.

Before Neverland and Peter Pan and flying ships and pirate's who made her heart skip a beat; Emma had been unsure of where she truly belonged. The idea of leaving everyone behind when the curse came start a new life without them had torn her apart, and now, particularly with her father looking at her but not seeing who she truly was, she had never missed them more. Storybrooke was her home and she was determined to do what a clever Huntsman had once told her. Emma Swan was going to put down some roots, permanent ones this time. She was going to figure things out, look into maybe finding a house, break this curse and live happily ever after.  
Sounds simple enough, apart from the whole issue of convincing everyone in town that their lives were all a lie and that she was here to use magic to rescue them.

Sinking down into one of the plush armchairs in their newly acquired room, Emma ran a hand through her hair, suddenly feeling incredibly tired as Henry pulled open a bag of gummy worms to snack on. She didn't have it in her to scold him about eating a tonne of sweets so close to lunch time.  
"So Operation Cobra Part 2," he mumbled through a mouthful of the treats.  
"I guess so kid, at least I'm already convinced this time."  
He nodded, slowly stuffing more worms into his mouth and then pulling over one of the complimentary note pads and pens, and writing furiously upon it.  
"What are you doing kid?"  
"Making a list of where the Nevengers are and what they're doing."  
"The who?"  
"The Nevengers; you know everyone who rescued me from Neverland, it's what I've been calling you all. So Grandma and Grandpa are still married and have their old jobs but with a promotion in Grandpa's case. My other Mom is still the Mayor, but is nice and friends with them all; and Captain Jones is Grandpa's deputy."  
"That just leaves Neal and we should probably try and keep an eye out for Belle as well," said Emma.

They had their list, they knew their mission, but how to proceed.  
The two of them knew nothing about what happened, in all rights they shouldn't even be there, no one should. Something had changed when the Bug stalled, something altered the magic to keep everyone in Storybrooke but with things reset into cursed mode with a nicer twist.  
Emma sighed heavily and cracked open the can of coke that they'd picked up, suddenly needing the sugar rush that it would hopefully provide.  
"I think we should tell Killian."  
She very nearly spat her mouthful of coke across the room as Henry spoke, the surprise sending the bubbles into her nose and leaving her choking, struggling for breath.  
"What?" she hacked, "Why?"  
Her son simply shrugged, "Cursed Killian obviously still has a thing for you, so I bet if you asked really nicely and did that eyelash thing you do around him, he'd help us out with trying to figure out what was going on."

Emma blushed furiously, "What eyelash thing?"  
"They get all fluttery and you look at him through them."  
"I do not!"  
"You totally do; it's okay though because he does the looking down, almost blushing thing whenever you smile at him."  
"You're way to perceptive for your age kid," she muttered, taking another pull of her drink. "I think before we get anyone else involved, we should do a bit of sloothing ourselves, try and find your Mom and maybe Neal, check in on them before going any further."  
"Fair enough. Operation Cobra Part 2, is ago."

~E&K~

 _The Enchanted Forest_

Zelena shrieked and stomped her feet as she realised that the teenage sorcerer's curse had failed and that the people of Storybrooke were still safe out of her reach in Maine.  
One of her minions chattered beside her as he came into land, and with a lazy swirl of her hand, the green smoke encompassed him so that he was once again a man.  
"Walsh my pretty," she crooned, "What did you find out?"  
"No one knows why the curse failed, the clouds were gathering and people have fled in this direction, but no one from the other realm has landed anywhere."  
The Wicked Witch stormed across her sisters room to the balcony, clutching the rail and looking out over the forest.  
"Well if they won't come to us, we better go to them," she hissed, turning back towards the man behind her, "I have another job for you. Take the others and find me a wand imbued with dark magic."  
"But I-"  
"Do not argue with me!"  
"Yes Mistress."

Another cloud of smoke engulfed Walsh, so that he once again reverted to his enchanted form.  
"Fly my pretties, fly!" Zelena screamed as dozens of winged monkeys took off from their perches atop the castle.  
"Be seeing you soon sis," the Witch muttered, before parading away, her laugh left echoing behind her.

 **A/N: Another slight cliffhanger, I know I'm terrible. So everyone is cursed...again, story of their lives right? I'm still pretty much in the zone and have a solid idea of some of the events, but it's probably going to be a bit longer between updates this time. Until then...  
Stay beautiful my pretties! **


	10. Unexpected Arrivals

**A/N: And we're back. Hi guys, thank you all again for your wonderful responses, they make my day every time. I have this chapter and the first section of the next one just about ready, I'm just debating a couple of details that can effect how events pan out. Anyways, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I own zero things.**

 **Chapter 10: Unexpected Arrivals**

 _The Enchanted Forest_

Zelena watched with a smug smile as the dark hoard, that was currently blocking out part of the sun's midday light, flew ever closer to the castle. The black mass, coming into focus to reveal her army with Walsh (the largest of them all) leading the way.

While the rest of the pack took off back to their perches amongst the trees and pillars, her commander flew through the window to land by her side.  
In a puff of green smoke, the monkey once more, became a man.  
"Did you get it?" she asked, anticipation making the magic below her green skin begin to spark at her fingertips.  
Walsh merely smirked and proceeded to pull out the long, vine-engraved, piece of wood from within his jacket pocket. He handed it over to his mistress, who took it into her hands, balancing the weight and feeling the power.

With a victorious cackle, Zelena shot out her hand to summon her broom, which flew readily into her waiting palm.  
"Come my pretty," she crooned to Walsh, who had taken on his simian form, "Storybrooke awaits."

~E&K~

 _Storybrooke_

"Are you sure about this kid?" Emma asked for the tenth time, as she and Henry traced the familiar route through the town to the Mayor's office.  
She knew that they needed to see Regina, that her son in particular, needed the reassurance that his other mother was safe. But, Emma couldn't help but remember the feelings that had encompassed her the day before. The barest hint of hope that had evaporated and left a sense of despair at the oblivious eyes of her father and her pirate. She had spent years building up a thick skin, so it had been easy to hide her emotions, only letting the small amount of tears fall late at night when she was alone in their shower at Granny's.  
Henry didn't have her experiences. He'd been exposed to some terrible things (Neverland had undoubtedly made him stronger) but he would in no way be prepared for the lack of recognition, and possibly lack of care, that he was about to experience from the woman who had spent ten years raising him.

Her son was stubborn though, possibly a more genetic trait that he'd inherited from her, and simply sighed heavily at Emma's continued attempts to get him to return to the inn.  
"Mom, I already told you, I'll be fine. I know she isn't going to know me, I'm ready for that, I can deal with this. I just...I just-"  
"Need to know she's okay," Emma finished for him, "I get it kid, I do, I'm just worried about you."  
Henry reached over to take her hand, which she squeezed reassuringly, before letting it drop back to her side as they neared the somewhat imposing white building. She could just hear Killian's voice in her head, quipping about the Queen's austere sense of design and the grunt he would make as she elbowed him in the ribs. Sure it made her feel a little bit insane, but having that piece of Killian, _her Killian,_ with her, was a huge source of comfort. She felt so very alone in this town where she knew everyone but no one knew her; with nobody but Henry by her side to keep her grounded.

Taking a deep breath, she marched her way up the steps and through the doors, trying to portray an air of cool authority _(technically she had it, as Storybrooke's newest deputy)_ Henry lead the way down to the main office,  
although he came to an abrupt halt outside the door, meaning Emma almost went colliding into the back of him.  
"Jeez kid, a bit of heads up would be nice."  
But Henry wasn't listening, instead he pointed to the desk that lay ahead of them, where a woman sat waering a crisp black suit with a green blouse.  
"Is Tinkerbell, my Mom's personal assistant?" he asked quietly, so as not to alert the working fairy to their presence.  
"I can't tell," Emma replied, "She looked all wild and dirty the last-and only I guess-time I saw her. Only one way to find out."  
Pushing back her shoulders, Emma strode across the room to stand before the desk, catching the woman's attention who looked up with a smile.  
"Good afternoon," she said in the familiar accented voice. _Definitely Tinkerbell._ "How may I help you?"

"Hi there," she responded, ",My names Emma Swan, this is my son Henry, I was actually hired as the new Deputy yesterday and was wondering if I could speak with the Mayor."  
The fairy smiled up at her, "Oh yes, Sheriff Nolan called and said we could probably expect you at some time. Just give me a minute." Reaching over, she pressed a button on her phone, buzzing through to the main office.  
"Yes?" came the crackling reply.  
"The new deputy and her son are here to see you," Tinkerbell replied.  
"Of course, send them straight through Tina."  
"Tina?" Henry asked when the buzzing had finished.  
"Tina Kate Rosaline Bell, the Mayor's assistant, at your service; but you can call me Tina. The rest is a bit of a mouthful; why my parents thought I needed three first names I'll never know. Anyway, if you would like to go on through."

 _Tina K. R. Bell,_ Emma thought to herself as they approached the glass door, _these curses are getting more clever.  
_ She reached up to knock lightly, turning the handle as the brisk voice on the other side called "Enter."  
Regina looked exactly the same, her hair was perfectly in place, a coat of bright red painted on her lips and a sharp black dress and heels to complete the combination. Even her office was identical. The only difference was the welcoming smile that lit up her face, one that most certainly hadn't been there when Emma had first met the Mayor of Storybrooke.  
"Good morning," she said brightly, a term Emma never thought to apply to the Queen before, "I'm Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke, and you must be Deputy Swan."  
"Emma, please," was her response, as she shook Regina's hand.  
"And you must be Henry."

Emma looked over her shoulder, to where her little boy was standing, frozen, just across the threshold to the room. He was gazing at his mother who was beaming back at him. Emma watched with sadness, as that same tiny spark of hope that she'd felt, disappeared from her sons eyes as he made his way carefully to her side and reached across the desk to shake Regina's hand.  
"Henry Mi-Swan," he stumbled, not used to the alternative surname, "Nice to meet you Madame Mayor."  
"Such a little gentlemen," Regina praised, "We don't see much of that around here nowadays. Please, take a seat."

The pair sank down into the plush, cushioned chairs across from Regina's leather one.  
"I have to say Miss Swan," she said, "I was rather impressed when David called me. He told me how you walked into his office like you owned the place and practically demanded a job. I admire a woman with backbone; not to mention you apparently got Jones to lose his words for a few minutes, which is something I'd very much like to see."  
Emma blushed profusely at Regina's account, "I'm sure Deputy Jones was just in shock from having a woman enter his mancave."  
The other woman simply smiled knowingly, taking in the blondes nervous shifting at the mention of her new colleague.  
"Whatever you say Miss Swan. Now I heard from the Sheriff that you used to work bail-bonds."  
"Yes, back in Boston I tracked perps and set up fake dates and the like to catch them."  
"Sounds exciting. I'm sure it's quite the change of pace to go from a big city bounty hunter to a small town cop."

"Um...yes...I guess," Emma stuttered, noting the slight narrowing in Regina's gaze, "But it's not necessarily a bad thing. It's hard to balance a potentially dangerous job whilst also being a single parent. I had to think about Henry first, and if anything happened to me, there would be no one to take care of him."  
"No family then?"  
"I'm an orphan," Emma answered, the words getting caught, considering that her mother was only a few blocks away and her father was patrolling the streets, "In a way, the fire that drove us out of Boston was a blessing in disguise. Now I don't have to worry about Henry being alone, small town family spirit you know?"

Regina simply hummed, searching across Emma's face from over her steepled fingers.  
"Well Storybrooke is plenty quiet," she said eventually, I'm sure you'll settle in very well."  
"Thank you Madame Mayor."  
"I'm sure I'll be seeing you Deputy, have a nice day Henry."  
Henry simply smiled and nodded, speed walking out of the room in front of Emma, who followed after shaking Regina's hand once more. She found him out on the front steps, gazing off into the horizon, his eyes not really focused on anything. Emma sidled up and took a seat by his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"You did really good kid," she said, squeezing him to her as he wiped his sleeve across his eyes, "I'm so proud."  
Her statement earned a watery smile and a loud sniff.  
"Look Henry," she continued, "This has been a rough morning, so I think you should head back to the room, and I'll head to Gold's by myself, okay?"  
For once he didn't protest; just nodded his head and gave her one last hug before trailing off in the opposite direction to her, back to Granny's, where he would have the space to do what he needed. Emma watched him go with a lingering sadness, before pushing off the steps, and making her way down to the pawnshop.

~E&K~

Inside the Mayor's office; Regina put the blinds back in place, took up the phone and hit speed dial.  
"Nolan?...Fine Jones, it's Regina...I just had a meeting with the new deputy...yes Swan...would you listen?...I need you to do a background check into her...what do you mean why? Because I said so...Jones I understand you have a little crush on her, but I need this done...I think she could be hiding something...look into building fires in Boston...yes now...I don't care if you're hungry...it's not that I don't trust her, I don't even know her...there's just something that seems awfully...familiar about Miss Swan...yes...okay...thank you Deputy...goodbye."

~E&K~

Once again the streets of Storybrooke were alive with the mid-morning crowd, who all made a point of staring at Emma as she went past, partly because in their minds she as 'new', but also because of the shining badge that she had clipped to her belt. David hadn't told her yet when she was on duty, but Emma knew the truth about Storybrooke and wanted to be prepared for any possible circumstance where she may nee dto get involved, using the badge as a means to control people, who may otherwise dismiss her.

Oddly enough, she noted, the library appeared to be closed. She had yet to spot Belle around town , and this was just further evidence that she may be missing or hidden away. If everyone had kept their relationships though, Emma believed she would be right in assuming that she would find Belle at the destination she was now heading for.

Gold's shop was open as per normal, and the usual hodge-podge of modern and antique goods from both this world and the Enchanted Forest, filled the windows.  
The little bell tinkled above her head, as Emma pushed through the door into the darker space, noticing that there was no one behind the main counter by the till. However, somebody obviously heard her entrance, as the curtain to the back room rustled and was pushed aside, to reveal somebody emerging backwards, with a box in their arms. Emma would recognise the voice anywhere, and so was prepared when he turned around to realise that she was there.

"Good morning," she said after a long, and frankly, quite uncomfortable, moment of silence.  
"It is now," said the man, not even being subtle as his eyes mapped over her body, before slinking around the counter to hold out a hand, "Neal Gold," he said, "And who do I have the _pleasure_ of assisting today? I would say Deputy Jones, judging by your badge, but you're far prettier than he is, and far less annoying"  
"Deputy Swan actually," she answered coolly, "Emma Swan."  
"An absolute _delight_ to meet you Emma," he said, warm air washing over her skin, from where he had invaded her space. _It just didn't feel as good as when Killian did it._ "How may I help you?"  
Clearing her throat, Emma glanced at the curtain, where she could hear someone shuffling around.  
"I was actually wondering if your father was here?" she said, trying to ignore the shock that crossed Neal's features at her words.  
"Belle," he called over his shoulder, eyes not leaving hers, so she could see the confusion and intrigue there.  
"What is it Neal?"

 _That solved one mystery.  
_ Belle appeared from behind the curtain, looking like her normal self, other than her pale features and the bruises under her eyes that indicated sleepless nights.  
"This is the towns new deputy, Emma Swan," Neal said quietly, gesturing to where Emma stood.  
"Nice to meet you," said Belle kindly, "Is there something the matter that's brought the department down here this morning?"  
"Oh no," Emma replied quickly, "I-"  
"She's asking for papa," Neal interupted.

Belle too had a momentary look of shock, her eyes travelling back to Emma, although her gaze was more shrewd than kind.  
"How do you know Robert?" she asked, with an edge to her voice.  
"Well, I-" Emma started, but was stopped when a voice called out to Belle from the back room.  
The brunette cast one more searching look at Emma, before dashing off and leaving her alone with Neal, to attend to whoever was asking for her. They stood in an awkward silence, catching bits and pieces of the muttered conversation happening out of sight.  
"Emma Swan...looking for...yes Swan...Deputy...don't know her...asking...but...are you sure?...okay."  
Belle reappeared, looking somewhat grim, "Deputy Swan, if you'd like to come through here. He'd like to speak to you...alone."  
Neal tried to protest, but Belle took him by the arm, cast a warning look at Emma, and then marched them both out of the shop.

Cautiously, Emma edged towards the curtain, pulling the material aside, and stepping into the even darker space.  
Rounding the corner, so that the large shelf to her right was no longer blocking her view; she let out an involuntary gasp.  
Lying half-upright, propped up on pillows in the narrow cot by the wall, was Rumplestiltskin.  
He looked pretty good for a dead man, minus his pale skin and the cough that seemed to wrack his body every few minutes.  
"Gold?" she muttered, not quite believing it.  
"Miss Swan," he answered, looking her straight in the eye.  
"You-"  
"I remember you yes, and clearly you remember me."  
"How is it...how are you...what the hell is going on?!"  
He flinched at her raised voice, pressing a hand to his head and groaning.  
"Not so loud deary. Use your inside voice and I can tell you what I think has happened."

Emma took measured steps towards him, sinking down into the chair by his cot that she assumed Belle had previously been occupying.  
"Okay Rumplestiltskin," she said, "Tell me what you know."  
With a deep breath in, he began:  
"I had every intention of dying when I killed Pan, it was the only way to end him for good, however something didn't quite go to plan. The Darkness that lives inside me, wasn't gone. It was scattered and lost amongst the rest of Storybrooke's magic. As the curse came, the Darkness felt the Queen's counter spell and prepared itself to return to the Enchanted Forest; but, the manner of the spell changed."  
"Changed how?"  
"Whatever spell Regina was casting, she altered. What she did would keep us in Storybrooke, with our relationships in tact and the town still here, but the curse would wipe our memory. I don't know why she did this but-"  
"The Bug," Emma said quietly, "The Bug stalled and Henry and I were trapped, if she stuck to the original plan, he would have been alone."  
"There's your answer then," Gold sighed, "The Queen couldn't do that to her son and so she cursed the town to stay so he wouldn't be abandoned."  
"I need to know," she said with earnest, leaning forward, "I need to know if there's any way I can break it."

The Dark One just looked at her as if she was the biggest idiot to ever walk the earth.  
"Of course there's away to break it Savior; the way all curses are broken."  
"True loves kiss," she whispered.  
"Bingo."  
"So all I have to do is kiss Henry again and everyone will have their memories back!" she was up out of her seat in an instant, but Gold's voice halted her.  
"Not so fast Miss Swan," he said, "It's not that simple. You and Henry are outside of the curses purview, you cannot break it together."  
"Then how."  
"You have to make one of them _believe."_

She slumped back into the chair.  
"You're telling me, I have to get somebody in this town to love- wait no, not just that- to _true love_ me or Henry and kiss them to break this curse?"  
"Precisely."  
"Then I hope you enjoy this life Gold, because I can never make that happen."  
"You don't have a choice," he all but spat at her, anger rolling off him in waves, "There is still magic here, it's weakened slightly, but it exists; that's why I'm healing so slowly. It's only a matter of time before Regina accidentally throws a fireball and the whole town descends into chaos because they realise something is wrong. These people are living double, in some case _triple,_ lives; they will tear each other apart, unless you do your job and bring back the happy endings!"

Gold was practically screaming at her now and Emma had had enough.  
She got up, the chair skidding out behind her, and stalked away; a light bulb popping as she did.  
"You can't run from this Miss Swan," Rumplestiltskin sang out behind her, "The happy endings you must save, or you'll dig your families grave."

~E&K~

Outside of the shop, she covered her face with her hands and screamed into her palms.  
"Pleased to see me then lass?" said an accented voice off to her right.  
Glancing over, she saw Killian looking down at her with concern in his eyes. Normally, it would have been a comfort, but right now she was pissed off and had half a mind to punch a wall.  
"Leave me alone would you Jones," she huffed, pushing her hair back into place, "I'm _really_ not in the mood to be dealing with you right now."  
There was a brief flash of hurt across his features, which seemed totally unreasonable seeing as, in this life, he hardly knew her. But Killian was quick to cover it and put on a cold facade that she hated, but was all too familiar with.

"Actually _Deputy,"_ he growled, "I'm here to ask you a few questions."  
Emma looked at him with confusion.  
"Mayor Mills called after your meeting and asked me to look into you. Seems there have been no building fires in the Boston area recently and Emma Swan was a bail-bonds person, but she lived alone with no record of a son and hasn't been seen for nearly a year now. So; who _exactly_ are you?"  
"Killian, I promise I can explain everything just- _what the hell is that?"_  
Hook turned to follow where she was staring and his eyes widened at the bright green twister that appeared from the sky to touch down somewhere in the woods. He was still in shock, he only just noticed Emma running off in the direction of the freak storm.  
"SWAN!" he yelled, but she didn't look back, and he had no choice other than to follow.

~E&K~

 _The Enchanted Forest_

Zelena touched down in an empty clearing with Walsh at her side, back in his human form.  
"Now my pretty," she said, pulling out the wand, "Time for us to go."  
Just as she was about to raise the wand and cast the spell, an arrow whizzed from the trees and flew past her ear.  
"What the-?" she hissed as a group of men appeared around them.  
"Who are you?" called the one in front of her, with his bow raised, "And what are you doing in our forest?"  
" _Your forest?"_ the witch asked, calling her magic to her hands, "I believe you'll find this is my forest, but you are welcome to it now seeing as I'm leaving. I would run along if I was you."

Ignoring the men around her, Zelena pointed the wand at the sky to summon a storm to her.  
Lightning began to crackle and hit the trees, as the green storm clouds rolled in, spiralling together, to form her bridge to the other land.  
"What did you do?!" cried the man with bow, yelling to be heard above the winds.  
"I told you to go!" she shrieked back...but it was too late.

The twister hit the ground in the middle of the clearing, the men tried to scatter, but were caught up and pulled one by one into the eye of the storm. Walsh grabbed hold of Zelena, who merely laughed as they were whipped away and carried towards this _Storybrooke._

E&K~

 _Storybrooke_

Emma came panting to a halt where she thought the storm had touched down and mysteriously vanished all at once. Killian was hot on her heels and grabbed her arm the moment he stopped beside her.  
"What were you thinking?" he bellowed, "What would ever possess you to run full pelt towards a-"  
A groan from somewhere in the bushes brought an end to his tirade.  
The two Deputies shared a look, before creeping over.  
Pushing aside the foliage they saw a group of men lying on the ground, all armed with swords and bows, with cloaks wrapped around their shoulders.  
"What the?" Killian muttered, just as the men began to stir.

 **A/N: I'm assuming you guessed who just arrived in Storybrooke. If you haven't (why not?) I won't say, that's for the next chapter, which I promise is coming together in my head; I just need to get it onto paper, or laptop, or whatever.  
See you soon my lovelies :)**


	11. We're All Mad Here

**A/N: I decided I would follow my heart on this one rather than my head. It's probably going to get a bit angsty, but what you gonna do. As usual, thank you all for being here reading and reviewing, it makes life so much better. Have fun!**

 **Disclaimer: Not mine.**

 **Chapter 11: We're All Mad Here**

Emma took a few cautious steps closer to the group of men who were slowly starting to come around. Killian obviously wasn't a fan of her plan, as he tried to snag her hand and pull her away from the rousing crowd.  
"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed, "They're armed and probably dangerous, you can't just-"  
He cut himself off when he noticed the over half-a-dozen notched arrows that were now aimed their way. He tried once more to tug Emma to a safer spot behind his body, although she was doing an exceptionally good job of resisting.  
"Where are we?" said the man at the head of the group, the one with his bow trained firmly on Killian's chest, "And who are you two? Where's the woman?"

It was too much to process the stranger;s questions, particularly with so many lethal objects directed at their vital organs, it left Killian floundering.  
Emma however, calmly stepped forward, in front of her pirate, drawing all of their lines of fire to her.

"My name is Emma Swan," she said, her voice stable despite the hint of fear she felt in the pit of her stomach, "You're in Storybrooke, although, if I am correct in assuming, you many know it better as the Land Without Magic."  
"We're in a different realm?" asked the man, bow string still tight and ready to release if necessary, "This isn't the Enchanted Forest?"  
"This is the town that was created when the Evil Queen set the Dark Curse upon the land you call home, if you want to think about it technically, this is the Kingdom of Snow White and Prince Charming, as well as some of the other royals such as Prince Thomas and Princess Abigail."  
The weapons started to lower slowly towards the ground, although a few men kept theirs raised.  
"Miss Swan was it?" the man inquired.  
"Yes, although I also go by the Savior or...Princess Emma, I guess."  
"Princess?"  
"My parents are actually Snow White and Prince Charming. And you and your friends are?"  
"Robin of Locksley and these," he said gesturing to his sides, "Are my Merry Men."

Her internal ' _what is my life'_ meter was going off like crazy, yet Emma was able to resist throwing her hands to the sky in a silent plea to the gods to explain how she ended up trying to talk Robin Hood out of turning her into a human pin-cushion, with a memory-less Captain Hook behind her. Speaking of-  
"What about him?" said Robin, as his men slowly lifted their weapons to point at the stunned Killian.  
She smoothly side stepped, putting herself in their path, with no small amount of warning in her gaze.  
"My associate Killian Jones. We in the town are unfortunate enough to have been cursed once more very recently, and so you'll find no one in here remembers who they are, or that there even is an Enchanted Forest, let alone that all the stories they believe to be Fairytales are true and that they are the characters."  
The Merrymen looked concerned at this and once again lowered their bows, this time returning the arrows to their quivers and taking up a more casual stance.  
"How did you get here?" Emma asked in earnest.

Once more, Robin looked around, checking his group for something... _or someone.  
_ "There was a woman," he said finally, "A strange looking woman, with a man at her side. She had magic and a wand and called a tornado like I've never seen before out of thin air. We shouldn't have even been in that blasted clearing, it was all a mistake; she brought us here and now, because of that, we're trapped."  
Emma's mind was reeling. A witch, a powerful one at that, with some manner of accomplice, was now loose on the streets of a defenceless Storybrooke.  
"Did you get a name?"  
"No," Robin replied, "But if it's of any help at all; she had bright green skin."

This was apparently enough to send Killian over the edge.  
He'd been standing quietly, listening to the back and forth between the man who claimed to be _Robin Hood,_ and the woman who was meant to be their new deputy, but was insisting that this entire town was cursed _and_ that she was the daughter of a fairytale prince and princess.  
At the mention of green skin, a sort of choked noise escaped his throat, leading to the assembly all turning to face him.  
"This is insane," he muttered, "You're all certifiably insane, talking about curses and magic as if it's actually real. And you," he said rounding on Emma, "I don't know who you think you are, coming in here to this nice, _normal_ town and trying to stir up trouble with these lies about your past and now fantastical stories. I should arrest you, I should arrest all of you. _Swords, bows and arrows, green skin, Snow White, Evil Queens and Prince_ **Fucking** _Charming!_ You're mad, you need to be committed you...you..."

He was breathing heavily, his eyes wide and panicked like a wild animal caught in a trap. His gaze was flicking nervously between all of them, locking on Emma who appeared to have tears in her eyes at his outburst.  
"Killian-" she whispered.  
"Don't," was his gruff reply, "Just don't."  
"Killian please." She was begging now, "It's true, I swear to you it's all true, I wouldn't, _couldn't,_ make something like that up. This town is cursed, and I know because I'm from here."  
He wouldn't meet her eyes and his jaw was clenched tightly, yet he wasn't backing away, and that was all the encouragement Emma needed to continue.  
"For twenty-eight years I lived on my own, until my son who I gave up for adoption came and found me. He brought me to this town and told me the truth. I didn't believe him, I was like you, I didn't believe in monsters, magic or curses. But it was true, we broke the spell and everything Henry told me was revealed. I found my parents and then, in a stupid turn of events, I ended up in a different realm which is where I met you. I've known you for quite a while now Killian Jones. I know all about you and your past; about Milah and your brother and-"

 _It was the wrong thing to say._

Killian's nostrils flared and his hand twitched. For a second Emma thought that he might hit her.  
To him she was just a crazy woman who had shown up and was now dredging up was undoubtedly a painful past in any realm.  
"You know nothing," he spat, backing away from them all, "Stay away from me and get out of this town."  
"Killian-"  
"I said get out!" he roared, stalking forward to shout in her face, "You are a liar and you are deranged, you do not belong here, so get out before I make you! Take your _son_ and your little yellow bug, pack your bags and leave this place. I don't know who you think you are, or what kind of game you're playing, but this town and these people will never be your home."

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed away, leaving Emma behind, alone with the Merry Men and her breaking heart.  
Robin caught her as she all but collapsed to the ground, sobs wracking her body at his rejection. Part of her, _a small foolish part,_ had hoped that a bit of her Killian would have broken through the fog and found it in himself to believe her. In no version of events had she imagined him screaming her out of town, with jabs and accusations tossed at her from every side. The tears that fell in torrents blinded her vision, as she clutched desperately at her middle, using her arms to try and hold herself together, otherwise she was certain she would shatter.

 _'This place will never be your home.'_

The remembrance of that particular phrase only made her wail louder, as the group of strangers looked hopelessly to one another, trying to decide on what to do with the mess of a princess they'd found themselves with.  
Fortunately for them, outside forces had their own plans to take Emma off their hands.  
There was a loud screech from the trees above them, as a winged, black shape flew down and snatched up the Savior in its claws, before any of the band had time to react.  
Emma screamed as the beasts talons dug into her skin, crying out for help, but she was already beyond saving.

~E&K~

Killian continued his raging march back to town, ignoring the pained cries he could hear in the place he'd just left.

 _Whoever that woman was she was none of his problem._

He ran his hands repeatedly through his hair, rubbing at his face to try and rid himself of the image of her desperate pleas, of the absolute hope she held in her eyes as she gazed up at him. It was the kind of stare he could have easily got lost in, as he had done when they first met, but the words that she was saying, clawed at his mind and forced him to push her away. Bringing up Liam and Milah had been the last straw.

What was worse was that, it felt as if in some far flung corner of his mind, there was a voice screaming at him to believe her; the same voice that was now cursing his existence for being the one to cause he pain. He wanted nothing more than to shut it out, so continued to stride down Main-Street to the diner and alert the proprietor that this Swan woman needed to be out by tonight, _or else._

It was easy enough to locate her.  
Granny was in the hallway by the staircase to the inn, replacing the toilet rolls for the bathrooms, empty tubes piles up in her arms.  
"Hello my boy," she said, smiling brightly in was of greeting, although it faded when she saw the grim look on his face, "What's the matter? What can I do?"  
"Emma Swan," he managed to choke out, "She needs to be gone by tonight, she can't stay here."  
Granny looked shocked and was ready to argue, "Killian Jones, just because you have a problem with someone, doesn't mean that you can just come to me and have them thrown out."  
"Who's getting thrown out?" came a small voice from the stairs.  
Killian's heart sank further as he turned to face Swan's lad, where he stood looking down at the two of them.

"You and your mom need to leave town by tonight, or you will be forcefully removed," he said, using his professional _'I'm an officer of the law, do not mess with me'_ voice. Henry apparently wan't having any of it.  
"You can't throw us out of town, we haven't done anything."  
"Actually lad I can, and your mom has," Killian walked away back through the diner, trying not to be effected by the curious looks of the patrons or the sound of the boy following steadily after him.  
He was out the front door and onto the sidewalk when Henry started shouting.  
"Hey stop, you have to listen to me, Deputy Jones, hey!"  
Killian was prepared to continue on like he wasn't even there; that is until he felt something hard hit him between the shoulder blades.

He looked at the ground behind him where there was a sizable pebble at his feet and then to the boy who was standing unashamedly with his hand still in the air.  
"Did you just-" he sputtered, half angry, half amused.  
"Yeah well you're being an ass and won't listen to me."  
His eyebrow ticked up at the boys choice of language, but it was enough to get him to pay attention.  
"I'm assuming Emma told you about the curse and now you think she's crazy and are super mad," Henry stated matter of factly, sauntering over to stand toe to toe with the deputy.  
"Lad you have to understand; your mother is a deeply troubled-"  
The boy poked an accusing finger into his chest, effectively silencing him.  
"My mom is not a deeply troubled anything. She could kick _your_ ass from here to Misthaven if she didn't like you so much."

Killian pretended to know what a Misthaven was and also not to listen to that part of his brain which perked up when Henry said that Emma liked him.

 _This was utter madness.  
_

"Lad, you have to appreciate how it sounds to me, what your mother said. I'm meant to believe that my whole life is a lie, and I'm actually a character from a storybook."  
"Captain Hook if we're gonna be specific," Henry chimed in, "Don't look so surprised all the signs are there. You have one hand, love the sea, have a penchance for rum and a ship called the Jolly Roger."  
"How did you-"  
"Know? Lucky guess," Henry snarked, "Not to mention you're hopelessly in love with my mom."  
"I just met her yesterday," Killian protested.  
"Didn't stop you from staring at her like she hung the freakin' moon or something. Plus you didn't only meet her yesterday, she actually tied you to a tree, pointed a knife to your throat and threatened to feed you to the ogres."  
"And I'm meant to be in love with her?" Killian laughed, which felt ridiculous considering how mad he'd been mere moments ago.  
"Well _duh_."

How this had suddenly become his life, Killian had no idea; a thought only enforced as Robin and his men appeared moving swiftly down the middle of the road, despite the cars around them which were blaring their horns and waving their fingers.  
The group, picked up the pace when they spotted Killian and Henry, skidding to a halt in front of them.  
"You there," said Robin, "Killian Jones right? You are a man of the law correct?"  
"Yes," asnwered Killian warily, shooting Henry a look when the boy coughed ' _Pirate'  
_ "We have a crime to report," Robin announced, making the deputy roll his eyes.  
"Let me guess; somebody stole something from the rich to give to the poor?"  
The Merry Men grumbled angrily at Killian's passive aggressive jab, yet Robin ceased them with a hand and went on.  
"Actually, after you left, the Lady Swan was kidnapped, by some manner of thing from above."

His heart stilled, and then picked up again at a rapid beat.  
"Someone kidnapped my mom!" Henry cried in anguish.  
"Not someone lad," sighed Robin, " _Something."_

 _I shouldn't have walked away, I shouldn't have left her; if I hadn't she'd still be here, she'd be okay.  
_ These thoughts ran through Killian's brain as he desperateky tried to compose himself.  
"Take me there," he demanded and when there was no response, "I said take me there!"  
The Merry Men jumped, but quickly turned and began to lead the way back towards the woods where he'd found them with Swan at his side.  
"Lad you-"  
"If you think I'm staying here Captain, you can forget it," Henry said, determinedly following after the band ahead of him.  
Killian sent up a quick prayer for patience before jogging to catch up.  
 _Don't worry Swan,_ the voice said, _I will find you, I will always find you._

 **A/N: So yes, it is probably the shortest chapter so far, but really this was just about Killian reacting to the curse and I didn't want to drag it out into something long and dull. Also two chapters in one day, I'd say I'm slaying it. I have the outlines ready for chapter 12 so it should only be a matter of time.  
See you shortly lovelies xox**


	12. Saving the Savior

**A/N: Fair warning to you all, with course work and my Mexico trip in two weeks, updates are going to be really eratic across the coming months, so I really want to get this chapter out and hopefully more through summer so that I can resolve it maybe before I go back to school. Thank you for your continued support and please enjoy reading.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT.**

 **Chapter 12: Saving the Savior**

Emma screamed through her clenched teeth for what felt like the millionth time as the beast carrying her tightened the hold of its talons in the flesh of her shoulders. She'd been trying relentlessy to wiggle herself from its clasp, but with no success on her end and only a huge increase in pain and blood loss with each attempt.

Ahead she could see the trees thinning as they reached the mostly uninhabited, save for a few farm-houses, outskirts of the woods; and felt the creature beginning a slow descent towards one such establishment in the middle of nowhere. The claws in her skin began to loosen as they approached the ground and Emma, seizing the opportunity whilst ignoring the horrible ripping sound and sensation, threw herself, full force, towards the ground. The thing that had been carrying her screeched loudly and attempted to turn in the air and dive to pick her up once more; but Emma Swan was not about to be carried somewhere over the rainbow, instead spinning on her heel, and running as fast and hard as she could back towards the woods, using the trees as cover.

She could hear the wings beating over head and the piercing, guttural cries, as the monkey tried to break through the branches. Luckily for Emma, Sheriff of fairytale town, she knew her way around; so that when the beast finally broke through the foliage, she was able to dart off the beaten track, employing her knowledge of the area to continue evading the monster snapping at her heels.  
Her long hair whipped across her face when she turned briefly to glance behind her, leaving her temporarily blinded. As she reached to quickly shove it out of her eyes, she felt the sticky, wet sensation of blood being smeared across her cheeks by her hand, from where it had been running in a steady stream down her arms.

Emma began to panic as her vision started to blur at the edges, leaving her to see only the greens of the plants, the browns of the earth and the red of the splatters of her own blood that fell around her as she sprinted, or more accurately, staggered, through the forest; hoping beyond hope that her clouded mind was leading her back towards town where she might be safe.

The thing made another attempt to grab her with its arms this time, a wide and desperate arc that caught her across the face making Emma cry out in agony. It had nicked her right eye, leaving it essentially useless, as she couldn't open it due to the pain of stretching the torn skin. More so than that, tears of fear, exhaustion, desperation and the fire of her injuries, were pouring into her mouth making it hard to breath.  
She could never quite recall in that moment whether she was glad or terrified at the realisation that there was somebody up ahead of her; all that she knew was that they were shouting something as she barrelled ever closer and then crying out a short while later, after some animal growls sounded and the beating of wings retreated.

Emma tried desperately to thank the person who had saved her, but as she turned, the world tilted up to meet her and she collapsed into darkness.

~E&K~

Killian was following the man _(he refused to call him Robin Hood)_ through the town woods, following the direction he and his men believed Emma to have been carried off in.

Young Henry was walking beside him and, despite his earlier hostility, seemed to draw unconsciously closer to the Deputy the further they got into the woods, almost as if he knew that Killian would do anything to protect him.  
 _And he would.  
_ He couldn't help but think that this was all his fault. He'd left one Swan, and she had been kidnapped, so he damn well wasn't about to let the other one out of his sight. The more they walked, the more guilty he felt for the things he'd said to Emma, despite the fact that he could see the ever increasing pain it caused her with every insult that flew from his mouth. Killian could tell she believed everything she was saying, and the look in her eyes as she tried to make him believe left his heart clenching. She said she'd known him, and a strong part of his very being had called out to her. Whoever she thought him`to be in this fantastical world that supposedly existed, he believed that the two of them must have been close.

Yesterday, the idea of meaning something to the blonde woman he's crashed into in the police station would have made him jump for joy, because he'd never in all his life seen someone as beautiful and captivating as her. No one had ever caught his eye like that, not even his Milah. Where she had called to him with her want for adventure, to leave Storybrooke and travel the world; Emma's gaze spoke to him of kindred spirits, tired of travelling, seeking a home and a family where there previously hadn't been one. Killian Jones had never been a believer in soul mates, but the way the world suddenly seemed to burst to life and everything seemed to fall into place when he'd first wrapped his arms (however accidentally) around Emma Swan, he would be very willing to have himself proved wrong.

Until he'd gone and ruined it.  
Like he thought, Emma believed in this curse or whatever, and seemingly so did her son, and how did Killian react? He screamed in her face, called her deranged, threatened to throw her out of town and then stormed away despite the agonised sobs he left behind that wrenched at his gut and clawed at his sanity. He had abandoned her the way he believed others had in the past, he had joined those terrible ranks, and could only pray that he may find forgiveness for his stupidity. But before any of that could happen, he needed to find Swan and then allow her to try and explain everything to him when he was calmed down and no longer feeling betrayed that she'd lied to him about who she was and where she'd come from.

Robin's men were moving in a wide perimeter around them, each with their bows and swords drawn. The medieval weaponry had Killian a bit on edge, but he wasn't about to argue with the dozen armed men when he had nothing but his handgun.  
He was contemplating the effectiveness of possibly throwing his prosthetic at one of them, when the group came to an abrupt halt as the large man on Killian's six pulled a small branch from a tree, holding it up so they could see the droplets of blood that coated the leaves.

He heard Henry's sharp intake of breath, the echoic representation of the moment his heart stopped beating, and then picked up again at a rapid pace.  
"There's more ahead," said one of the men, pointing in the direction of the path they were following, "This was definitely the way she was being carried in."  
Robin glanced over his shoulder at the two of them, presumably noting their stark white faces and fearful expressions, before gesturing for his band to continue. Killian set his jaw and followed suit, only glancing momentarily behind as Henry rushed up and gripped at his hand.  
It should have felt strange, he thought, this boy he'd never met before seeking comfort from him when his family was in danger, yet it felt oddly familiar...comforting almost to feel the weight of the boy's palm within his own. He gave it a gentle squeeze, hopefully comforting the lad, before leading them onwards into the trees.

~E&K~

Walsh landed awkwardly on the veranda of the farm-house, returning to his human form and rubbing at the bruises forming on his body from where the unexpected hiker had attacked him with a stick to keep him from his prize.  
 _Mistress won't be pleased,_ he thought as he contemplated opening the door and telling the Wicked Witch of the West that he'd dropped the Savior and lost her in the woods.  
It wasn't worth risking it.  
Instead he hurried down the steps, following the path he'd just flown towards the little town, hoping to find the spot he'd just left before anyone else did.

~E&K~

Killian allowed his eyes to sweep the surrounding area four times before looking back at Henry to make sure the boy was okay. It was rhythmic, consistent and helping him to remain focused.

 _Forward, backward, left, right, Henry. Forward, backward, left, right, Henry. Forward, backward, left, right, Henry. Forward, backward, left, right, Henry. Forward, backward, left, right, Henry._

It was on one of these rotations that he saw it. Dragging the lad with him, he broke past the circle of men, to snatch the piece of red and white wool, hanging from the thorns of a nearby bush. _He tried not to feel sickened by the fact that the red on the otherwise pristine white, was blood.  
_ "Emma," he whispered, then more loudly, "Emma. Swan! Swan where are you?!"  
He was shouting now, not caring how desperate he must sound, how cracked his voice was on each cry of her name. Henry followed his lead, as Robin and his men spread further out into the shrubbery;  
"Mom! Mom! Are you here? Mom!"  
"Emma! Emma! Em-"

 _"SHE'S OVER HERE!"_

The shout came from his right, and Killian was off like a shot to the other side of a large bush.  
His knees gave out at what he saw.

There were two people lying on the ground, yet he paid no attention to the man; not with the sight of the woman before him.  
Emma Swan was passed out, her face as pale as the sweater she was wearing, except that it too was marred with bloody hand prints and four long scratches from her temple down to the apple of her right cheek. Her clothes were ripped and bloodied, the flesh torn away from both shoulders, breathing shallow but still present.  
All coherent thought left his head, replaced by panic, fear, guilt and an acute sense of longing for her to open her eyes. He could hear Henry sniffling behind him, but also the sound of low voices comforting the lad.  
Henry Swan was crying, while his mother's life lay in the balance and all he was doing was kneeling in the dirt and staring, thinking of his own pain. One fact came strongly to his mind.  
 _Emma Swan needs to live.  
_ It was all the strength he needed, a truth that he could live by, a fact of life that gave him the courage to carefully scoop her into his arms.

"Somebody get the man," he said to the group, not taking his eyes off of the face of the woman he was holding, "Robin bring Henry; we need to get to the hospital now."  
He was glad when the pair stepped in front of him, it gave him the ability to keep his eye on Henry as they moved as swiftly as possible back towards the centre of town, the largest man of the group had the stranger he'd never seen before thrown over his shoulder, whilst the others trained their weapons on the sky above them and the land around them.  
In the silence that followed save for Henry's occasional sniffs, the crunch of their footsteps and the his somewhat harsh breathing; Killian took a moment to stare at Emma Swan.

 _She was beautiful,_ he'd known that the first time he saw her, but now, even in the wake of her injuries, he was able to appreciate the soft lines of her face, the toned arms and the stubborn chin. Emma was more than beautiful, she was breath-taking...and she'd nearly been (could till be) gone.  
It made him pull her closer to his chest, and bow his head ever so slightly to press a delicate kiss to her forehead.  
The things he felt for this woman, _this stranger,_ were beyond explanation. He felt so drawn to her, and no matter what he had said earlier, he wasn't about to let her go.  
 _"Come back to me Swan,"_ he whispered, and then turned his eyes to the path.

~E&K~

They must have made quite the sight he thought, as they made their way down main street.  
A group of strangely dressed, heavily armed men, being lead by a bowman and the tear stained boy who had just arrived; an unconscious stranger on one of their backs, and their deputy in the midst of it all, carrying his bloodied and battered colleague.

All in all he couldn't say that he was surprised that they stopped traffic (literally) or that people stared and whispered as they went pass. Killian had one goal, and that was get Swan to the hospital, screw what everyone was thinking, and screw what would be written in the Mirror tomorrow; his girl was in danger and he was going to save her.

They marched into Storybrooke General, making the receptionist squeak a bit in fear.  
"Dr Whale now," Killian said firmly, the woman only nodding and calling for Victor to get down there at once.  
The man's steps faltered when he saw the group in front of him, but one look at Killian's face told him now wasn't the time to be asking any questions.  
"I need two gurneys stat," he shouted, "And get the OR room ready for immediate action."  
Dozens of nurses suddenly flocked around him, and he almost didn't let Emma go, but one look at Henry had him placing her softly on the wheeled bed. He brushed her hair back once before they took her away. As Victor went to dash after them, Killian quickly caught hold of his arm;  
"If you don't help her Whale, I swear to god..."  
"She'll be fine Jones," the doctor said in earnest, "I promise. Let me do my job."

With that, he sprinted away leaving Killian to sink into the hard waiting room chairs; glaring and flashing his badge at the security guards who tried to approach Robin's crew. Henry came to stand beside him, but Killian swiftly pulled the boy into his lap; even young men need comfort some times.  
The lads shoulders began to shake as he burrowed into Killian's jacket, allowing the older man to rock him back and forth, rubbing his back and whispering soothing words into his ears. As Henry slowly calmed, he turned to face the men who were all sat with them.  
"I want you to tell me everything about this Enchanted Forest, about this curse, about who we're meant to be. Do it quickly and quietly but spare as few details as you can. Start at the beginning."

~E&K~

David was quite certain he'd never had so many strange phone calls in his life. It seems that the entire town was ringing him up with different versions of the same story. They were all something along the lines of, lots of men, swords, arrows, blood and his deputies. Some believed it was some amateur dramatics thing, others believed it was a hunting trip gone wrong, some idiots thought Killian had joined a cult, murdered Emma and was then parading the corpse throughout town. Choosing to ignore all the ridiculous theories, and instead get the story from the source itself, David fired up the cruiser and sped towards the hospital.

This day was producing a lot of firsts, he certainly wasn't expecting the scene in the waiting room. Some nurses looking afraid, others looked on appreciatively at the fine selection of the male gender laid out before them. David looked around the room in shock; the majority of the men were dressed strangely in earthy colours, boots, leather trousers and cloaks. More worrying was the number of deadly weapons they seemed to possess. Wooden bows, steel long-swords and knives of all shapes and sizes seemed to decorate their persons. Then, in the centre of it all, sat his deputy, his adopted family, with Emma Swan's son sat on his lap.

"Would somebody like to tell me what the hell is going on?" he asked the entire room, who looked over to where he stood un-moving in the doorway.  
"Dave," said Killian casually, but with a rough edge to his voice, "This is Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men, they're a group of performers who had gotten lost in the woods and happened to help me find and save Emma and an unidentified stranger from some manner of unknown animal."  
"Robin Hood?"  
"And his Merry Men."  
"My parents thought it rather funny," said the man David assumed to be Robin, "We're terribly sorry to have worried anyone in town, we practice our show on long camping trips and unfortunately got lost like this."

 _Mary-Margaret will never believe this,_ David thought as he looked at the men again who were all pleasantly smiling towards him, save for Killian who had his eyes once again fixed on the doors at the other end of the room.  
"Sheriff David Nolan," he said, "Welcome to Storybrooke and thank you for helping my partner here."  
His gratitude was waved off as he made his way over to sit beside said partner.  
"You okay mate?" he asked quietly, although one closer look at Killian's face showed him what a stupid question it was.  
"We're managing," was the gruff reply he got, noticing how the deputy's eyes, flicked down to the boy in his arms who appeared to be dozing.  
"Want to tell me how I was just dealing with Granny saying you wanted them thrown out of town, to this," he said, gesturing to Killian's...well, everything.  
"I made a stupid mistake, acted rashly, got overly worked up and because of that Emma got hurt," the man choked out, "We haven't heard anything for nearly an hour. You should have seen her Dave," he whispered, "She...she.."

Killian's voice seemed to fail momentarily and he went back to staring at the doors;  
"Henry made me see sense, when Robin showed up and said there'd been some kind of attack on a blonde woman in the woods. I was so scared Dave, so scared. If I hadn't stormed off she would have been safe. If she dies it'll be all my fault."  
"That's not true," David said firmly, refusing to watch his best friend fall apart like this, "She's going to be fine and then you and I are going to have a chat about fraternisation seeing as you obviously feel something for this woman you've only just met."  
"Doesn't feel like it," Killian murmured, "I feel as if I've known her my whole life; like every wall I have ever built was meant to be knocked down by her. She's different Dave...she's special."

David was frozen in silence for a long time.  
What Killian was describing, _what he was feeling,_ they were the same thoughts and feelings he'd had when he first met Mary-Margaret. His best friend was talking about a woman whom it sounded like he was on the verge of falling in love with after a five minute interaction.  
 _"I'll know her when I see her."  
_ The words of a conversation long since past returned to his mind. If what Killian had said then was true, that the love of his life after whatever mishap in his past with Milah, would be found and recognised in one meeting; then David felt as if she should be worrying more for the blonde woman in surgery somewhere in this hospital.

~E&K~

They'd sat in near silence for approximately two hours; David occasionally bridging the gap and talking weaponry with the Merry Men, and then they all relayed the news, _or rather lack there of,_ to Henry when he awoke from his nap. Mary-Margaret had shown up, probably after a text from her husband, bringing some good food, rather than the slop they served in the canteen, for them all to eat. The others had received this very well, but Killian hadn't touched his specially made steak sandwich.  
When the food had gone, and the second round of coffee was going round, Dr Whale finally emerged and Killian was up in an instant.

"Is she-"  
"She's resting," Victor said, running a hand tiredly down his face, "We had to put a lot of work into patching her up in order for the blood transfusions to work. She's bruised and scratched all over, her shoulders are definitely going to hurt like hell for a while, but nothing was broken and we're certain she'll make a full recovery with a couple of scars only as she comes out the other side."  
Killian felt most of the tension flood from his body, his shoulders sagged and the adrenaline rush that had been keeping him going seemed to disappear leaving him virtually exhausted.  
"Miss Swan is very tired, but it should be okay if her son sees her as long as there is a nurse to escort him."  
"No," cried Henry, rushing to the front of the group, "I don't want a nurse, I want Killian to escort me."  
"I'm sorry, but there is a protocol in place that says-"  
"You can over ride it," said David with a long look at his Deputy who visibly deflated when he was told he couldn't see Emma, "Do it on my jurisdiction and I'll take whatever fall out."

Realising he'd been beaten, Whale sighed heavily and gestured for Killian and Henry to go ahead.  
"Room 47, don't make to much noise and don't disturb anyone else."  
The two nodded and hurried down the hall to where Emma's door was. It was a private room, with no windows leading onto the corridor other than that in the wooden door, which Henry eagerly pushed open to bound over to his mother's side.  
Her eyes fluttered open at the pressure of her son's hand on her own, and she smiled drowsily up at him. The boy returned it with more energy, gently leaning down to hug her which she returned gratefully.

Killian stood frozen in the entry way, not wanting to intrude on the family scene, and realising that he was the last person she probably wanted to see after everything he'd said.  
With that in mind, he turned ready to stride away when a soft voice called out to him.  
"Killian?" Emma said softly, making him look back to where she lay.  
He was prepared to see hatred in her eyes, prepared for her to blame him for the predicament that they were all now in; but she didn't.  
"Killian," she said again, with more strength this time while struggling to sit up, wincing all the time.

Quickly he made his way to her side, easing her slowly back down and perching on the edge of her bed.  
"Easy there darling," he said quietly, "You need to rest up Swan. Can't break a curse without a Savior."  
"You believe," she said, smiling sleepily up at him.  
"I'm trying to," was his whispered reply.  
 _But it was enough._

Emma continued to grin, and gingerly reached her hand out to cup his cheek and run her fingers soothingly across his jaw.  
"I knew you'd be the one," she murmured as sleep began to claim her, " _I lo-"  
_ Her sentence cut off as she drifted off, her hand falling slowly down his arm for him to catch in his palm and press a kiss to.  
"Sleep well my love," he breathed, ignoring Henry's knowing face at his use of the word 'my' and instead relaxing back into the chair behind him, his grip on his Swan never faltering.

 **A/N: So there we have it, I hope you liked. Much drama to come, so please stay tuned and r &r if you like. I'll be seeing you soon-ish maybe my lovelies x**


	13. The Weight of the World

**A/N: In this chapter we're going to explore what turned Killian into a believer, get some insight into the stranger found with Emma and perhaps some CS angst/fluff and OQ meeting. Have fun!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

 **Chapter 13: The Weight of the World**

" _I want you to tell me everything about this Enchanted Forest, about this curse, about who we're meant to be. Do it quickly and quietly but spare as few details as you can. Start at the beginning."_

There was a silence following Killian's words, no one quite knowing what to say, until Henry piped up, emerging from where he was tucked into the man's leather jacket.  
"It started when Snow White, or as you may know her, Mary-Margaret Nolan, told a secret."  
"Mary-Margaret being Snow White I can kind of see," Killian mused, "The bird thing for sure, singing and keeping things neat, also."  
"She's actually a bandit," Henry supplied.  
"And you lost me again lad. I guess you should just continue without my interruptions. You were saying Snow White is a badass who told a secret?"

Henry then went on to give Killian, and the Merry Men, who didn't know the whole story, an overview of the Enchanted Forest's history that lead to Regina _(As Killian knew her, Mayor Regina Mills, with a sharp tongue but who made a mean apple pie)_ cursing their entire kingdom meaning Emma...  
"Wait," Killian called out, "You're telling me your mother is Dave and Mary-Margaret's daughter?"  
"Precisely, the Savior, destined to break the curse twenty-eight years in the future."  
Killian took a moment to absorb this, to think of his friends faces mashed together and how that could possible make Emma Swan.  
"Bloody hell, she has her chin."  
Henry giggled loudly and then continued with Emma being sent through the wardrobe with Pinocchio of all people,to live in the Land Without Magic, but not Storybrooke like the cursed people.

"When Mom was seventeen she met a guy called Neal Cassidy, although I'm pretty sure he's called Neal Gold here."  
"Please no," Killian muttered. It was no secret to anyone in town that Deputy Jones and the Gold's didn't exactly see eye to eye; and Killian dreaded now Neal was going to fit into this story.  
"She really loved him, he was the first person to really notice her, and I think that he loved her too, _but not enough_. Pinocchio found him and told Neal that Emma had a destiny and needed to break the curse to bring back the happy endings. Neal was in the way and unless he left, Storybrooke could be cursed forever. He was stupid listening to August. He set my Mom up to go to prison for eleven months for possessing a case of watches that he had stolen. He didn't fight for her, and Emma never trusted anyone again for a long time."  
"Bastard," spat the Deputy, a sentiment echoed by the rest of the men, who seemed hugely unimpressed by such bad form.  
"When she was on the inside, Emma found out she was pregnant with me, but had to give me up once I was born so that I could have my best chance."  
The lad's eyes had become a bit glossy Killian noticed, but he bravely surged on with his story.  
"I was put up for adoption when Mr Gold found me and gave me to Regina."

"The Evil Queen is your adoptive mother?" asked Robin Hood in shock. Receiving a nod in response as the tale went on.  
Henry told them about fetching Emma from Boston on her birthday, then trying to make believe once she got to town, to see the truth about the strange things that happened and how he had to eventually eat a poisoned turn-over to get her to wake him from the sleeping curse with true loves kiss.  
"I can't help but notice I haven't come up yet lad," Killian said, "Where exactly was I for all this?"  
"Oh this is the good bit," beamed Henry, wiggling around on the man's numb thighs to get more comfortable.

"Emma and Snow fell through a portal to the Enchanted Forest after being attacked by a Wraith. They encountered Knights, Ogres, Princesses, Warriors and, eventually, a Pirate pretending to be a blacksmith. He wasn't the best guy to start with, aligned with Regina's wicked mother Cora to try and get his revenge on Rumplestiltskin who had taken his love and his hand three centuries ago. My Mom pulled him out from under a pile of bodies, didn't believe a word he said, tied him to a tree with a knife to his throat and threatened to feed him to the ogres unless he told the truth. The man revealed he was Killian Jones, although he also went by his more colourful moniker, Captain Hook. He agreed to ally with the heroes if they promised to take him with them when they returned.

They somewhat reluctantly agreed and so he took them to a beanstalk where a magical compass was hidden. The heroes argued until the Savior said she climb it with him and so they went to the castle in the sky together. I never found out exactly what they talked about, but my Mom told me a story about how he saw through her walls like she was an open book and it terrified the crap out of her. This is why I'm guessing she chained him up at the top of the beanstalk, she knew she could trust him, but was too afraid to try. It wasn't the end of them though. They fought on the shores of Lake Nostos and Captain Hook threw the fight so that the Savior could get home to her son, he had another way to Storybrooke anyway. They weren't on great terms for ages; the mantles of hero and villain kept them apart and a thirst for revenge that he tried to quench but ended up getting hit by a car instead. The princess said she didn't care, but she left town with Rumplestiltskin to go to New York, because if not Hook would have died. The pirate followed them there for one last attempt to take out the man who ruined his life, but was left behind again. It seems reasonable enough in that case to ally with the wrong guys again, but it was temporary. Minions of Peter Pan came to destroy the town and kidnap the Savior's son. They failed at the former and succeeded in the latter. The heroes were without hope, the magic bean had been stolen by Captain Hook and there was no way to follow.. _.or so they thought_.

White sails appeared on the horizon, the pirate, willing to try his hand at redemption, gave up his revenge and the magic bean; promising to help in any way that he could to rescue the stolen boy. He sailed them through a portal to Neverland, saved them from a Bandersnatch, from Lost Boys, from Shadows and, in the end, sacrificed his life in exchange for their son so that they could escape. Everyone was really glad that he survived, even if his dramatics earned him a slap in the face from the princess. Throughout their misadventures, the pirate was surprised to discover something; he had fallen in love. It had always been there, you would have to be blind not to see it, but both he and his princess were too scared of letting go. What he didn't know, was that the princess was falling in love as well. She didn't say it in words as he had once done in an act of desperation, but it was there in her actions. Fate was cruel though and she was to be torn away from him and their family by a terrible curse; only, her crappy car wouldn't start and the Queen had to change the spell, leaving the citizens without memories of anything. The next day they drove to town, got a room at the inn and asked after the pirate. They found each other again when he collided with her in a hallway, and their stories not over yet." _  
_

There was a sort of stunned silence once Henry had finished speaking. The Merry Men seemed to accept everything that the young boy had said and were reliving some of the better moments and discussing how they themselves would attempt to steal from a Giant or take on a Bandersnatch.  
Killian didn't know what to think, the details were so elaborate, each story interwoven with the others to such an extent that an eleven year old couldn't possibly have made it up off the top of his head.  
"I'm a villain," he muttered, to himself, however, the lad (who was yawning and seemed on the verge of sleep) overheard him and was quick to interrupt that particular train of thought.  
"You _were_ a villain. Not anymore. It's why you're so happy now. In Neverland you became good friends with David and Snow, plus Regina secretly likes that you can sass off with her. If you weren't a hero Killian, me and my Mom wouldn't have gone to you first. We knew that you would help."

"Fat lot of good I was. Only got your Mom kidnapped and hospitalised; I don't see how that can be called helping."  
"No hero believes at first," Henry sighed through another yawn, "You believe us now and that's enough."  
"How do you know I believe?" inquired the deputy.  
"You're listening to me right now. Plus; I can see in your eyes that you feel something that you can't explain for my Mom. When we break this curse, you'll understand."  
With that the boy passed out against his shoulder, snoring softly and clenching his hands in Killian's shirt. The deputy looked down at him fondly. _If this is real, he could be mine someday,_ he thought smiling to himself, before a steely resolve settled over him.  
He looked at the Merry Men who were looking back at him;  
"It's all true?"  
"Every word," replied Robin determinedly.

There was another long pause in which Killian decided Henry was right.  
What he felt for Emma Swan was way beyond his own comprehension, something that he knows a walled up person like himself can't feel in an instant. Attraction, sure, _love,_ definitely not. Just to state for the record, he knew he wasn't in love with her; but whenever he thought of that sentence, the word 'yet' was always tagged on to the end.  
He wasn't in love with her _yet.  
_ A past such as the one Henry described, no matter how fantastical, would explain the deep-rooted emotions he had. Surely not even a curse could remove something as powerful as that.  
"You need a covers story," he announced quietly, aware of the nursing staff who were eyeing them all up, "Robin Hood and his Merry Men from the Enchanted Forest just isn't going to cut it here."  
"By all means," said Robin with a happy grin on his face, "Do make one up for us, if we're to be trapped here, might as well try and fit in."  
"Your names are the same, your parents had an odd sense of humour considering in this world you're all stories. Robin Hood and the Merry Men is the name of your performance group, you reenact fight scenes and archery sequences for crowds on the open road. You have to practice on your far-flung camping trips seeing as it's not easy to shoot a bow in the middle of town."

Fortunately, Killian finished his statement just as the familiar sound of police sirens arrived outside of the hospital. It gave them all time to school themselves back into their previous states and positions, just as David came striding through the doors.

~E&K~

Killian thought back to the explanation Henry had given him and the world he'd just willingly thrown himself into for no good reason.  
 _Actually, there is a very good reason_ ; his conscience reminded him, with a pointed caress of his thumb across the delicate skin of Emma Swan's hand, which he was still holding, hours after she'd fallen asleep.  
Henry too was now passed out, curled up on the couch, allowing Killian the quiet time he needed to process his new situation.  
"Curses and princes and Captain _fucking_ Hook," he chuckled to himself.  
Him, Killian Jones, who'd helped run Mary-Margaret's fundraising bake sales for ten years, who'd volunteered with the orphan boys at the nunnery, who was adored around town for helping old people, young children and stray animals cross the road; he was the scourge of the seven seas, with a reputation more fierce than Blackbeard's and the finest ship in all the realms. Of course his Jolly Roger was a marvel, but she had been an impulse buy years ago that he took out for show or rented for kids birthday parties. Could he truly have lived for three hundred years, fighting, drinking, seeking revenge only to fall in love and become a man of honour?  
One glance at Emma's face and he knew she could corrupt a priest to sin, but also maybe cure a pirate of his darkness.

"What are you doing to me Swan?" he said in a breathy exhale, using their joint hands to push her hair off of her forehead, before trailing them down her cheek and then bringing them up to rest against his lips.  
It was one of those quiet moments that you wish would just go on and on...not accounting for your loud, and frankly quite rude, friends/employers.  
In other words, Regina Mills had just come bursting in.  
"What is this I hear about a vicious animal attack and somebody being in lo-"  
The Mayor froze when she realised she'd startled Henry and Emma from their sleep, and clearly interrupted some private moment Killian was having, based on the red tinge to his cheeks and ears.  
"I...uh-" she began, "Sorry, I didn't think. Nolan called me about half an hour ago as I was getting out of a meeting, and I thought, as Mayor, I should have known what was going on and-sorry."

No one was really listening to her, Henry was watching with a kind of drowsy longing, mingled with shock from being woken so abruptly; Emma was staring intently at Killian who seemed to be trying to look everywhere but at her.  
Things really couldn't be more awkward until,  
"I heard a bang and a shout and got down here as fast as I-" Robin said panting heavily, but cutting himself off the moment he took a breath and noticed the brunette woman in front of him. The Mayor and the Thief gazed at each other in a lingering once over that seemed to last forever until,  
"Dr Whale said there's been a huge amount of noise and that if I can't shut you all up he'll-" David began, before realising everyone was silent and he couldn't actually get into the room because Robin and Regina were still blocking the doorway with their continued assessment of each other.  
The room, it seemed, could not get more crowded until,  
"I brought jell-o" Mary-Margaret sang out, bustling past the three people in the entry way and plopping down her stack of plastic puddings and spoons onto the movable table.

It was an effective way as any to remove the lingering discomfort in the room as everyone pulled up chairs around Emma's bed, which they raised using the button so she too could be sitting up, and dug into the snacks. Robin looked cautious at first, but with a quick glance from Henry, he set about eating his green coloured jelly and seemingly enjoying it very much.  
"So what happened?" asked Regina eventually, when they were all scraping the bottom of their bowls.  
"Some manner of wild animal in the woods attacked Emma, Robin here was lost out there with his friends and heard some noises."  
"I rushed into town and stumbled across Deputy Jones by chance," supplied Robin, "Myself and my men lead him back the way we'd came until we found Miss Swan."  
"And Henry was there because?" Regina queried.  
"I was in Granny's at the same time as Killian was. He'd had a fight with my Mom when they were investigating the freak storm and I was arguing with him when Robin showed up."  
"You two were fighting? But Killian said-Oh I'm so sorry, you don't even know who I am Deputy Swan. Mary-Margaret Nolan, David's wife."

"Nice to meet you," said Emma softly, wincing slightly as she reached out to shake her mother's hand, "It wasn't really a fight."  
"He wanted to throw you out of town."  
"Dave," Killian hissed in warning.  
"Throw them out," Mary-Margaret said in shock, "Why would you do that Killian? You were literally saying the day before-"  
"Why don't I get some water?" Killian interrupted, standing abruptly from his chair, "Everyone must be very thirsty."  
"But there's water in the jug," said Henry, but the leather-favouring deputy was already out the door, leaving a stunned group in his wake.

"Did we say something wrong?" asked Mary-Margaret, looking between her husband and Emma.  
"He probably still feels guilty," David replied, staring sadly at the door his best mate had just practically sprinted out of.  
"Why?" his wife prodded, and, glancing around at the others, he could tell they were all intrigued as well.  
"He said that he over reacted to the fight with Emma, that he had acted rashly and hurt her which is why she was still in the woods rather than with him...but for that reason why were the two of you together?"  
"I think I can explain," Regina spoke, with an edge of regret, "I'm often... _suspicious_ of people, especially those who come to Storybrooke, basically for the reason that no one ever does. I asked Jones to look into your past Miss Swan which is presumably why he went to talk to you."  
"He was upset because I lied," Emma whispered, ignoring the shock on all their faces and the panicked look on Henry's, "We're not from Boston, or at least I haven't been for a while. I left there two years ago because I found my son after giving him up for adoption ten years ago."  
"If you're not from Boston, where are you from?" this came from David, who had a similar look to Killian when he found out she hadn't told them the whole truth.  
"All over really. I've been looking for my birth parents since I found Henry and it lead us here. I only lied because I didn't think you'd hire someone without a stable life; but I am a Bail-bonds person if that's any help."

The room was silent, but it was more understanding than hostile.  
"You don't have to worry about us accepting you Emma," said Mary-Margaret, taking up her hand, "We won't judge you for having a difficult life and wanting to settle down. Killian just doesn't react well to being lied to. He's such a sweet man, but he's suffered a lot; it was a lie that made him lose his brother a long time ago. Although that wouldn't explain why he felt guilty David."  
Emma watched as her father heaved a sigh, before fixing his gaze on her, "He said that if Emma was badly hurt or worse, it would be his fault that she was in such a condition."  
Again, everyone didn't know how to respond.

Emma had angry tears in her eyes. Her stupid pirate was always to goddamn noble for his own good, always trying to shoulder the weight of the world, forgetting in the process that he wasn't Atlas, just a simple man. She swiped furiously at the traitorous tears, refusing to let the others see her cry, but it was too late.  
"You really care about him," said David, looking at her with curiosity.  
"I-" she stammered, "I just-Killian is...this is going to sound strange but, _I know him_ , or I know what kind of man he truly is."  
"And what's that?" David pushed, trying to figure out whatever truth Emma was choosing to omit in their presence.  
"The kind of man who cares so deeply about the people that he's taken into his heart, even though the world has constantly tried to push him down and break his spirit. He's a survivor, and he deserves far better than to believe himself at fault for things that are out of his control. _He deserves far better than me."_

The last part was whispered, so that nobody could quite catch it, although if Henry's sad smile was of any indication; he'd got the gist of what his mother was implying. He leaned back in his chair to reach for Emma's leather jacket that was lying on the table by the couch. Rifling through the pockets, his fingers connected with cool metal and he grasped the object before turning back to place it in his mother's trembling hand.  
Emma glanced down into her palm, letting out a soft, watery laugh at the sight of the Giant's gold join that Killian had sent to her in Neverland. Regina, Mary-Margaret and David looked confused as she brought the piece up to hold against her heart, but they chose not to say anything as it seemed to be soothing the bed-ridden blonde, easing her tears, so that she could enter into the conversation they started about Henry joining her mother's class at school.

~E&K~

Killian stood outside the door of Room 47, peering surreptitiously through the crack to see and hear what was going on inside. After he'd fled from the others, he'd locked himself in the men's bathroom to take a few cleansing breaths and remind himself that Emma was in fact alive, and on the road to making a recovery. More so than that, she seemed willing to forgive him for his earlier outburst, and appeared beyond over-joyed that he was finally starting to believe in her. His entire frame had trembled as he clenched the sides of the sink repeating the mantra;

 _She's okay, she's alive, she's going to be fine. She's okay, she's alive, she's going to be fine. She's okay, she's alive, she's going to be fine.  
_

The fear in his eyes was almost foreign, something he hadn't seen since he'd waited to hear if Liam was going to pull through from being poisoned. This was almost worse than that, whereas there was nothing he could do to stop Liam from eating the wild berries that the man they'd worked for at the time said were perfectly safe; he had been responsible for Emma's life hanging in the balance. Old demons he thought had been long since buried, were clawing their way to the forefront of his mind, screaming their abuse and opening up decade old wounds.

 _She's okay, she's alive, she's going to be fine. She's okay, she's alive, she's going to be fine. She's okay, she's alive, she's going to be fine.  
_

He repeated this again and again, each time getting louder, if only to block out the noise of the voices in his own head.

Killian realised he must have been shouting, when Dr Whale burst in, took one look at his position, spun him around and slapped him hard across the face.

In an instant, the noises began to fade, the background sounds of the hospital becoming clearer, and the realisation that he'd been having some sort of panic attack began to sink in. His knees started to go weak, and if not for Victor he probably would have collapsed.  
"Steady on there Jones," his sort of friend said, keeping a steady grip on his elbow, "It's going to be okay, just take deep breaths with me now."  
The two men, inhaled and exhaled slowly for around two minutes, until Killian was no longer shaking and on the verge of collapse. He straightened himself up and cast an apologetic look to Victor;  
"I'm sorry," he muttered, scratching self-consciously at the spot behind his ear.  
"There's nothing to apologise for," replied the doctor quickly, "As a professional, might I recommend that you return to Miss Swan's room, seeing as the distance, however short, apparently is not doing you any favours."  
Killian nodded slowly and turned to exit the rest room, hoping that no one else was lurking outside to see what had been happening.  
"And Jones," called Victor, as he pushed the door open, "Tell Nolan that the man we found with her has just woken up if he wants to question him."

Once again, the deputy shook his head in agreement, before moving steadily down the corridor in time to catch the end of what Emma was saying to his friends about him.  
He could see the truth in her eyes when she spoke about knowing him, and the pain that _his pain_ seemed to be causing her.  
When they struck up a conversation about Henry's education, he stepped carefully back into the room and sunk into his chair, ignoring how all eyes turned to him when his fingers unconsciously began to hunt across the bed-sheets until they were entwined with Emma's.

She returned his hold with a gentle squeeze, not even pausing in her sentence about extra curricular activities, as if she held hands with Killian every day after she'd been violently attacked and he'd run away. Everyone followed her lead until they reached a natural lull, and Killian finally spoke up.  
"Whale said the man we found with Emma is awake David, if you wanted to head to his room and ask some questions."  
The Sheriff nodded and rose from his seat to approach the door before looking back to his deputy.  
"Are you-?"  
"I'm going to stay here if that's okay mate," was Killian's quick response, fixing his friend with a pleading gaze, begging for him to understand that he couldn't leave; not now, _not ever.  
_ David gave him a knowing smile before exiting, leaving the others to pick up their conversation about Storybrooke.

As Regina explained the concept of Miner's day to Robin, Emma tugged softly at Killian's hand to get his attention.  
He looked at her and saw the silent question in her eyes; _'Are you okay?'  
_ With a gentle smile, Killian ran his thumb across her knuckles in response; _'I am now love.'_

~E&K~

Just down the hall, David stepped into room 34, to see the unidentified stranger hooked up to machine's giving him fluids and monitoring his heart rate. The man was sat up, looking around as if he'd never been inside a hospital before, until his somewhat cold and calculating gaze fixed on the new-comer at his door.  
"Good afternoon," said David politely, "May I come in?"  
The man nodded, but appeared wary as he made his way to stand at the the foot of the bed.  
"My name is Sheriff Nolan of Storybrooke. I can see that you're not from around here, I'd recognise you if you were. Do you know who you are and how you got here?"  
The man sat up straighter, although his arms seemed to shake with exertion, giving him the perfect appearance of a victimised individual.  
"Good afternoon Sheriff," he said, "I appear to have gotten lost while hiking. If you could do anything at all to help me I'd be oh so grateful."  
"Of course," replied David, smiling kindly, "But that doesn't answer the question of what I should call you."  
With a tremor, the stranger continued;  
"Walsh," he said, "You can call me Walsh."

 **A/N: Dun, dun, dunnnn! Walsh is the stranger, which begs the question, what happened to the other guy, make sure you stay tuned to find out. I'm very grateful to have been able to get this chapter out as quickly as I have because, as I said, I'm not sure how long it will be between my next update. Please continue to review this story, it gives me so much joy to hear your thoughts.**

 **Stay beautiful lovelies :)**


	14. Suspicious Minds

**A/N: Firstly, hello again. Secondly, I know it's been centuries but we're finally back, I just lost my connection with the story and really struggled to pick it back up again.  
Please feel free to message me with your thoughts. It's good to be back.**

 **Disclaimer: The show still isn't mine**

 **Chapter 14: Suspicious Minds**

Prince Charming who didn't recall he was Prince Charming, didn't seem to buy what Walsh was selling. The vague story about being a stranger lost out in the woods, miles from anywhere besides the town of which he wasn't a resident.  
He needed to change up his strategy, find an in somehow, a weakness that he could exploit.

"The woman who was also attacked, she's Emma Swan right?" He said cautiously, noticing how he immediately had the Sheriffs attention.  
"What about her, how do you know Emma?"  
"This going to sound terrible," Walsh replied,trying to play the part of a guilty school boy, "Emma and I used to live in the same area and I had a bit of a crush on her. When she and her son took off...I kind of followed them here."

The other man's face hardened instantly and his hand twitched towards his gun belt.  
"So you're a stalker," David stated coldly.  
"NO! Oh god no," Walsh backtracked, "just someone who wanted to make sure she was okay."  
David was still staring him down and Walsh knew that the man was in no way convinced and that he was now unnecessarily exposed and in danger of being discovered. He just needed to get to the Savior.

"Well we'll see what Emma has to say about all this," David finally announced before spinning on his heel and striding out of the room.  
Things had most definitely not gone to plan. The Swan woman wouldn't call the lie straight away and he'd be caught, probably arrested. He'd have to find another way to get to her that didn't involve going through the army of people who seemed prepared to protect her, even though they barely knew her anymore.

Yanking the series of wires from his arms, Walsh paid no mind to the sudden incessant beeping of the machines, and escaped out the window, hoping there was a place nearby where he could get new clothes.  
The Savior was safe, for now.

~E&K~

Killian had yet to let up the death grip he had on Emma's hand, not that the blonde seemed to mind, if anything she was holding on just as tightly. She was keeping up an animated conversation with Mary-Margaret about the children she taught, while her lad had dozed off in his chair. The lad was a trooper that was for sure, tougher than your average kid. But, Killian thought, considering his supposed background, he wasn't all that surprised.  
The son of a magical kingdoms lost princess and adopted child to its evil queen, life couldn't exactly have been plain sailing.

It was still all so overwhelming. Robin Hood and Wicked Witches, could he really have forgotten this other life? Looking at the woman whose thumb was absentmindedly trailing over his knuckles, he'd like to think that it was impossible that he wouldn't remember her. Emma touched a part of him that nobody else had for a long time, could that have always been the way between them? Was his strong attachment to her now an unconscious link to the love he felt when he was meant to be Captain Hook.

It was as good an explanation as any; instant connections (or love at first sight if you prefer) whilst an enchanting notion, were not exactly realistic. Even Dave and M, the most loved up couple he knew, hadn't fallen immediately in love with each other. This other version of himself,the version who was clearly head over heels with Emma Swan, he must still exist in his head and be the reason an unconscious part of him longs for her touch and her presence.

In a flash he feels jealous of this other him. Does Emma prefer the roguish pirate to the cautious deputy. Is she only pretending to like this adaption of him in the hopes that she will get the other one back.  
All these thoughts fly through his head in an instant and he realised his grip on her hand must have tightened slightly, because Emma turns to him with a questioning eyebrow raised.

He gazes into her forest Green eyes, praying that they hold the secrets to everything he wishes to know. He's not sure what answers he finds there, but something seems to settle into place when she smiles shyly at him and it feels like...  
It feels like her in his arms, a wooden deck beneath their fit and the stars reflected in her eyes as they sail on a ship through a sea of clouds.

The thought hit him unbidden out of nowhere, so bright and vivid it that it throws him off balance for a moment. Was that a memory he wondered? Did he just catch a glimpse of his forgotten past? With Mary-Margaret and Regina in the room, it seemed unwise to bring it up. The image fit into the story Henry told him if he was recalling it correctly; he'd have to ask her later.

~E&K~

David made his way back along the corridor towards Emma's room. Though he wasn't entirely certain as to how truthful his new deputy was being in terms of her background, he knew that he trusted her a whole lot more than this Walsh guy. Either this man truly was some crazed stalker who had fallowed Emma and her son to their little town, or her was desperately lying in an attempt to cover something up. The issue then was how did he know Emma's name and why did he happen to be out in the woods at the same time?  
As far as he can tell, there was nothing wrong with Walsh. Whale had come up with no reason as to why the man would have been unconscious when they found him. Things weren't adding up and somehow Emm was at the centre of it all.

Pausing outside the room, David glanced inside looking at the happy scene that lay before him. His wife and the bed-ridden blonde were deep in an animated conversation, Regina listening in though her eyes occasionally travelled towards where Robin was sat. That was another mystery; this strange man and his troop of men who seemed thoroughly out of place and unsure of any modern comforts. Henry, who looked as if he had recently woken up, sleep still clouding his eyes, seemed to be absorbed in whatever story Robin was telling, grinning at some of the man's wild gestures.

Finally, his gaze came to rest on his best-friend. Killian still looked a little worse for wears; hair stuck up in all directions and a lingering tension in the set of his shoulders, but otherwise he seemed perfectly content. His right hand was linked tightly with Emma's fingers trailing in a dream-like state over her knuckles that he occasionally raised to brush against his lips. As one such pass transpired, David noticed how a smile lit up the blonde's face, while a blush simultaneously stained her cheeks. She glanced towards Killian, bottom lip captured between her teeth, eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks. The look seemed to further eliminate the stress his other deputy was carrying, allowing him to settle deeper into his chair.

He tried not to think of the devastation that could have followed should Emma have somehow not recovered from her injuries, the devastation that could still come if she proved to be something she wasn't. Though the main part of him questioned her story, there seemed to be a voice in the back of his head calling out to believe her and protect her from any harm that may come their way. Pushing the feelings aside, David entered the room at last, coughing to make his presence known to its occupants.

He must have still been frowning, because Mary-Margaret was instantly at his side, a comforting hand resting on his shoulder.  
"What is it?" she asked, guiding him to the vacant seat on the sofa next to the bed.  
"I think the guy is lying about something. His name is Walsh; he claimed that he knew you," he said to Emma, "When you were back in Boston."  
The blonde hesitated for a moment, before her lips tilted down and a hint of fear seemed to enter her eyes.  
"We never knew anyone called Walsh. How the hell did he know me?"  
Worry resonated in her every word and Killian edged closer trying to provide some degree of comfort. It seemed to work to an extent, her jaw unclenching but her free hand moving to grip his arm.

"Said you lived near each other," answered David, "I don't believe it for a second. Either way the guy is exhibiting the qualities of a stalker; he knows your name, though you clearly don't know him, and my guess is he followed you into the woods and faked being knocked out."  
"Why would you say that?" Regina intoned sounding concerned.  
"Whale couldn't pull anything up, The guy doesn't have a single bruise on him and-"

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, a troubled looking nurse appearing.  
"I'm sorry," she said, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath, "Sheriff Nolan one of our patients is gone. The man who was brought in with Miss Swan, it looks like he pulled out all his wires and jumped out of the window."  
"That's ridiculous," said David, "We're two storeys up, there's no way he could have landed without hurting himself."  
"I don't know Sheriff, security checked the immediate proximity, and there's no sign of him."

With that, the nurse rushed off again, leaving a panic stricken group behind her.  
"Why would he leave?" Mary-Margaret queried, hand running soothingly up and down her husbands arm.  
"Innocent men don't just run," Robin added.  
"He must have known his story would come undone when I spoke to Emma. If he's gone, I was right about that ulterior motive. He's a threat."

That seemed to capture Killian's attention above all the rest of the conversation. In an instant he was on his feet.  
"There's no way we can leave Emma and Henry alone if this man is on the loose, I won't allow it."  
His tone broached no argument but still his eyes challenged anyone to disagree with him.  
"Jones is right," Regina said, "We'll get Miss Swan's release forms dealt with immediately. With a prescription for meds, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be able to move you elsewhere."  
"We'll head back to Granny's then and-" Emma started.  
"Absolutely not!"

Killian's voice echoed around the suddenly empty room.  
"There's no way in hell I'm letting you stay alone at the inn when your injured and unprotected."  
"I can take of myself," interjected Emma, an edge of irritation fuelled by her independence, filling her voice, "A few scratches isn't going to hold me back."  
"A few scratches- are you serious Swan?" came Killian's exasperated answer, "Though I can see that you are perfectly capable on handling yourself, I think you know that you and your boy would be a lot safer with a bit of extra manpower."

David watched the following stare-off that passed between his two deputies; a silent conversation or a battle of wills flowing between them. Eventually, Emma's shoulders slumped and Killian looked ever so slightly smug.  
"Where will they-" Mary-Margaret started to say but, once again, Killian answered the question before it was even fully formed.  
"They're coming home with me. It will be good to actually use the spare-rooms for once."  
Emma looked as if she wanted to ask a question, but Henry (who had watched the entire exchange in silence) quickly reached out to nudge her.  
Instead she responded by nodding her head, the small smile finding its way back onto her face as Killian picked up her hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze.

~E&K~

With the issue of where they were going to stay settled, Emma watched as the central members of the town jumped into action. David took off to the station to begin trying to get information on whoever this Walsh guy was and maybe form a search party. Regina offered to get Robin and his men settled at Granny's, the man politely declined saying that they would prefer to perhaps borrow some camping gear and set up in the woods close to town. Though it seemed odd to the Mayor, he managed to follow the story that Henry had established enough for her to make sense of his proposal and agree to help get him some tents, sleeping bags and cooking supplies.  
Mary-Margaret took off to sign Emma out, grab her prescription and set of pyjamas to travel to Killian's in. The petite woman pressed a kiss to her cheek and promised to be over later with Emma's stuff from Granny's.

It was hard not to reply with a 'thanks mum', Emma struggling to hold herself back. Settling for as grateful a smile as she could muster, trying to keep a few tears at bay. Henry took off to the snacks machine with a couple of dollars in search of some candy; the kid had earned it for his good behaviour. He returned with Mary-Margaret at his side, the pyjamas and pills in her hands, helping Emma up to get changed. She thanked lord for that, because the first time Killian saw her naked was definitely not going to be now, she had much higher expectations for that moment in the future.

Killian for his part, remained by her side the whole time until she was dressing at which point he called for someone to give them a lift over to his house. This in itself was a mystery to Emma. She couldn't imagine Killian living anywhere other than his beloved Jolly Roger, clearly this new curse and set him up to have as normal life as possible, nothing too piratey about it. She made sure to remind herself to ask him about his ship later, when they were alone.  
He lead her from the hospital, hand once again joined with his, Henry ambling along on his other side chatting away about some book or other. Out front she recognised Tink leaning up against the side of a small green car.  
"Emma this is Tina-Kate," said Killian, "Tina this is Emma and her son Henry."  
"Nice to meet you," said the fairy, positively beaming as her gaze flicked between the two of them and then down to their hands, "Quite the spill you took. We're not used to that much action in Storybrooke."  
Emma's mouth ticked up slightly and Henry barely managed to suppress a snort, causing Killian to shoot them both a look to keep their cool. Tink _or Tina,_ didn't seem to notice though, instead ushering them into the vehicle and beginning the drive through town, chattering about nothing along the way.

Emma looked out of the window, watching the familiar scenery pass by and getting caught up in a sense of de ja vous. It was like being thrown back in time to the first curse, only with a few other characters thrown in and some of the main players removed. It was an odd contrast of understanding and complete lack of knowledge. She realised this must have been how Henry felt starting out Operation Cobra in the first place, with no one there who knew the truth and no one who believed him until much later on. She was glad to have him onside and equally glad to have Killian to. Though her Captain seemed reluctant, he had come back and seemed willing to listen. A part of her was hoping that her pirate was still there inside of him, the snarky voice in his head telling him to believe her and go along with it. He certainly felt like her Killian, just a bit less brash and with all the modern touches thrown in.

Speaking of...

"Woah," Henry gasped as they pulled up outside of a large house.  
The place was vaguely medieval looking, _it had a turret for christ sake,_ with a big front yard full of well maintained shrubbery, and a set of stairs leading up to the grand front door.  
Tink snorted and Killian chuckled, scratching behind his ear in embarrassment.  
"It's not much," he said, stepping out of the car, "But its home."  
"Not much!" exclaimed Henry, "This place is huge! I'm hoping this means I won't have to share a room with mom then? No offence."  
"None taken," she managed to mumble, still taking in the beautiful facade and wondering how she'd never come across it before. It was exactly the kind if house she'd imagined herself having as a kid, all the way down to the white picket fence.  
"What do you think, love? Will it do?"

Killian was gazing at her, an edge of nervousness in his voice as if a negative opinion from her could break him.  
"It's beautiful," she breathed, enjoying the way he let out a relieved sigh before offering her his arm to escort her up the steps and into the warmth of his home.

~E&K~

Mary-Margaret had shown up not long after their arrival, Henry still charging round the place like a maniac trying to cover every square foot and discover all the secret corners. With their stuff in their hands, Killian had lead them to two adjacent empty rooms on the second floor.  
"You'll have to share a bathroom I'm afraid and the linens probably need a bit of airing, maybe I should open some windows or..."  
He trailed off into an uncontrollable ramble that Emma attributed to his nervousness.  
It was really quite adorable.  
"...I should just get new curtains and-"  
"It's great Killian, really," she managed to cut in eventually, "perfect even. More than we could have asked for. I am so incredibly grateful that you were willing to take us in."

A blush rose up high in his cheeks, extending to the very tips of the ears.  
"Simply good form Swan. Couldn't exactly leave you and your lad in a vulnerable state."  
"Still," she said, "Thank you."  
Measuring his reaction, she took a step closer and placed a lingering kiss to the very corner of his mouth, noticing how his head turned slightly as if his lips were automatically searching for hers.  
Henry muttered something along the lines of 'gross', vanishing off into his new room to unpack, leaving Killian and Emma alone, very much in each others personal space.

"I think I remembered something earlier," Killian whispered, his breath ghosting across her face, eyes fixated on her lips, "You were in my arms and we were sailing through the sky aboard a ship; I'm assuming it was mine."  
Emma gasped slightly, a brilliant smile taking over her whole face, "Yes. Yes that happened, we were coming back from Neverland on the Jolly Roger and...I can't believe you remembered."  
She appeared to light up in her joy, eyes wide as they gazed into his as if he was all she wanted to look at for the rest of her life.  
Without really thinking of what he was doing, Killian surged forwards to crash their lips together.

He quickly stiffened, realising what he had done; but, as he went to pull away, a guttural moan tore from Emma's throat and she grabbed the back of his head to hold him in place. Their mouths moved against each other in a dance that felt entirely new to him whilst also being achingly familiar. Somehow he seemed to know how to draw a noise of contentment from deep within her chest with his teeth tugging at her lower lip, just as she seemed to know that me would emit a low groan as she tugged at the hairs on the base of his neck.

It wasn't until Henry yelled, "Awesome! Secret floorboard," that the two managed to pull apart.  
They were both breathing heavily, as if they'd just run a marathon, foreheads resting against each other, bodies still twined.  
"I should let you unpack," Killian whispered, taking a half step back and allowing his arms to release her.  
"Of course," Emma answered, hesitating slightly, before turning to her suitcases.

Had they still been looking, he would have seen her grin and she would have seen his completely fuck-struck expression; fingers lingering over his lips before he forced himself to leave the room in search of some food for them all to eat.

 **A/N: So there we have it. Again sorry it took about a billion years, hopefully updates will get a bit better in terms of timing. We'll see if school lets me. Stay beautiful my dears, HOPEFULLY I'll be back soon x  
**


	15. Memory

**A/N: Many thanks to you all for sticking with me. It's been a difficult time recently that's kept me from writing, but I have the rest of the story planned out now, so hopefully it should be easier to get it all down.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own ouat**

 **Memory**

Zelena let out an inhuman shriek, throwing a heavy vase across the length of the storm cellar causing monkeys to scatter in all directions.  
She'd sent Walsh to capture the Savior and bring her back, yet there was no sign of him. The useless creature had vanished leaving no trace of himself or her contingency plan.

Removing Emma was simply a precaution in case things fell through. All she wanted was for Regina to accept her into the family, acknowledging her in the way their mother never had; she just wanted to be loved. Although, should Regina fail in this, there was always the back-up option of murdering her and assuming her position as Queen of this hideous little peninsula. But, naturally, the Savior had found a way to keep her idiotic little family out of the Enchanted Forest and now Regina had no idea that she even was the Evil Queen let alone that she had a wicked half-sister.

This was entirely the fault of Emma Swan, but Zelena was well aware that the only way to break this curse was by forcing the hand of the girl. The Wicked Witch was well aware that the product of true love was unlikely to willingly help her if she knew of her alternative routes to achieve happiness, so the only way to succeed would we to capture the Swan girl and steal her magic.

Walsh was meant to have done so already, but naturally he had failed.  
 _"Never send a monkey to do a woman's' work,"_ Zelena spat, sweeping from the cellar, her minions clamoring at her feet.  
Time to draw the heroes out.  
"Fly my pretties," the Witch screamed, "Fortify our ranks, bring me the Savior!"

~E&K~

 _Heat._  
Killian was surrounded by a close heat, though he couldn't tell if it was from the humidity, the heavy leather coat that he was wearing or whether it was radiating from the point at which his lips were connected to Emma Swan's.

Her hands were fisted tightly into the lapels of his jacket, while his hands were buried in the luxurious lengths of her hair, fingers pressed lightly to her head, a gentle attempt to keep her in place contrasting to the almost bruising efforts of her mouth on his.  
A sound in the distance pulled him away, but only far enough to rest his forehead against hers.  
"That was..." He muttered, sounding utterly wrecked.  
"Definitely not a one- time thing."

He was about to dive in for more, when the air was suddenly split by a wailing sound.  
Killian flew into a sitting position, looking around dazedly before focusing in on his protesting alarm clock.

With a loud groan, he flung his hand out to silence the infernal device before slumping back against the headboard.  
His fingers traced absently across his lips trying to hold onto the taste of Emma Swan. It had been such a vivid dream, likely spurred on from what happened last night...unless- unless it wasn't a dream at all.  
Could this be another memory, the first time he kissed Emma in this other life, in Neverland as Henry had explained to him. He would have to find time to ask her later. Right now, he needed to get down and figure out how to make up breakfast for two adults and a teenager out of the meager supplies in his larder.  
Adding a trip to the grocery store to the list in his head, Killian slipped from beneath the covers, ambling over to the dresser to throw on some clothes for the day.  
His feet had just touched the top step when he heard a clash and a muffled scream of pain coming from the kitchen.

Sprinting down the stairs and into the room, he was greeted by the sight of Emma hunched over by the counter, clutching her shoulder surrounded by the frying pan that had been hung on a hook above the stove.  
"Love? Are you alright?" He asked, rushing over to her side.  
"I was going to make pancakes," she muttered through her clenched teeth, forgot that I can't really reach for things with these damn injuries.

Glancing at the bandages that covered her shoulders, he noticed a spot of red.  
"Sit down sweetheart," he murmured, hooking a chair with his foot and lowering her into it, "We're going to have to make sure you haven't torn the stitches and change these."  
"It's fine Killian really I-" she tried to protest, but he'd already taken off into the hall to grab the supplies that Whale had sent them home with to tend to her wounds.

When he returned, she'd managed to strip herself of the tank top she'd put on for the day, giving him access to the bandages that circled her shoulders and the top of her ribs.  
Killian swallowed and tried not to trip as he took her in where she sat confidently in nothing but a pair of jeans and a black lace bra. Emma raised a suggestive brow that forced a choked laugh from him as he set about cleaning her up.

The bandages fell away and he was happy to see that her stitches were holding out and there was no more bleeding. He dabbed the ointment onto her skin, trying not to look too much into the goosebumps that erupted along the length of her arms, reasoning that it was a relatively cold morning and thus a completely natural reaction.  
He reached for the fresh bandages only to realise that it was unlikely he'd be able to put them in place with just his one hand, his false hand still upstairs in his bathroom.

"I um-" he stuttered, "I'm not sure-how to-I..."  
"Killian," Emma interrupted, covering his hand, "It's fine, I'll hold it in place until it's secure."  
With that, she took hold of the end of the bandage and placed it under her arm so that he could begin to wrap it around her right shoulder.  
He tried in vain to hide his blush as wrist brushed across her chest on his way to the other shoulder. If her grin was anything to go by, he was entirely unsuccessful in that endeavour.

Once the end was tucked away, Killian hastily backed away to pick up the scattered utensils whilst Emma reassembled herself. He'd just placed the pan on one of the gas rings, when he felt two slender arms wrap around him from behind.  
"Thank you," she whispered, pressing a kiss behind his ear that made him let out a stuttering breath.  
He was about to turn around and ask her about his dream, when the thundering sound of feet on the stairs alerted them to Henry's presence, drawing the pair apart.  
"What's for breakfast?" He asked, skidding to a halt beside Killian, pouting as he noticed the empty pan.  
Killian elbowed the boy teasingly in the ribs to get him out of the way as he reached for the cupboard.  
"Pancakes. Now make yourself useful and mix some batter."  
Henry gave a mock salute and a cheeky 'aye, aye captain,' effectively putting Killian and Emma's conversation on hold.

~E&K~

Cutlery clinked against plates as the three of them ate, Henry talking a mile a minute about how he was both excited and not excited to go to school.  
Killian and Emma exchanged several looks over their pancakes, shutting down his every reason as to why he should be out on the streets trying to break the curse, rather than continuing to learn algebra.  
"When am I going to use it anyway."

When he started on the benefits of experiencing work in the real world, Killian grabbed the empty dishes in his hand to place in the sink, he'd wash them up later. Emma appeared at his side with a long-suffering sigh, Henry still talking through the mouthfuls of food that he was trying to shove into his face. Her mouth opened to say something, when she was cut off by the phone.

"I'll get it!" Henry shouted, a large chunk of pancake flying across the room, as he raced to the receiver, only to be intercepted by his mother.  
" _I'll_ get it, the only thing you'll get is ready for school."  
With that, she neatly slid the phone from its cradle up to her ear, pushing Henry towards the stairs with the other.

"Uhh...Jones residence," she stammered down the line, looking to Killian who only smirked and went back to cleaning up, "This is Emma Swan."  
"Emma!" David practically yelled down the line, forcing her to pull the device away from her in case he burst her eardrum, "I need you and Killian down at the station now."  
"Now?! What's wrong? What's happened? Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine," David breathed out heavily, "There's been a disappearance, a few disappearances actually, people just vanishing over-night. How soon can you get here?"

Emma panicked tone had lured Killian over and the two were practically cheek to cheek, trying to both here what was being said.  
Snatching the phone from her hand, Killian gestured for her to go on up and get ready, "We need to get Henry to school mate, but we'll get there as quickly as possible."  
The two men didn't bother with goodbyes understanding the urgency and rushed to prepare themselves as fast as they could manage.

~E&K~

The tires on the bug screeched as Emma hit the brakes outside of the station fifteen minutes later. It was nothing short of a miracle that they'd got all three of them out the house and Henry dropped off with minimal resistance.  
The two deputies threw their respective doors open, before charging into the building to find David and a few men who Emma recognised as the dwarves and, surprisingly, a couple of members of Robin's band, the leader himself included.

"Thank god you two are here," David said clapping Killian on the shoulder, "Emma, I'm sorry, I wouldn't have called you in as well if it wasn't urgent. How are the shoulders?"  
"That doesn't matter," she replied instantly, "What's happening?"  
David was quick to explain that a couple of Robin's friends and one of the dwarves, Bashful she thinks, had all seemed to have gone missing within a few hours of one another without a trace.

"There isn't a pattern, they were all in different places," the Sheriff explained pointing to a pin-marked map of Storybrooke, "The town centre, the woods, the docks; no consistency and nobody has seen or heard anything."  
Killian, Emma and Robin all shared a look; the facts adding up to what could only be one possible conclusion, though they couldn't say so given the present company.  
"I suggest we split up," David continued, unaware of the silent conversation that had just passed, "Leroy and co. Can take the docks, Regina's coming down so between myself and her, we're going to divide Robin and his men to search the town. Swan, Jones I need you on the main trail in the woods. Neither of you stray from that path you hear me and you're both going fully armed."

His tone broked no argument, so they simply nooded, Killian leading the way out of the main bull-pen to one of the back rooms they stored Storybrooke's few police arms.  
Emma grabbed a spare hand-gun, holster and extra amunition; preparing to grab her own out of the glove compartment, glad that she never went anywhere without it.  
Killian mean while slung an extra belt on, his own pistol sitting low on his hips, then reached back for one of two shotguns that he strapped to his back before turning back to Emma whose mouth had gone dry.

She never thought she'd see anything more appealing than Killian in his pirate leathers, but that was until she'd seen Killian in jeans but this, the Deputy Jones look, that took the goddamn biscuit. Her thighs clenched as she took in the sight before her, tongue peeking out to run over her lips, catching his attention.  
"See something you like Swan," he teased, smoldering down at her as he promptly invaded her space.  
"You know I do," she replied, not backing down from the challenge, tilting her hips forward in a move that she'd stolen from him until they were practically nose to nose.

"I would very much like to kiss you again Miss Swan," he murmured, breath fanning over her lips as be reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ears.  
"Later," she promised as the sound of thudding alerted them to the other search parties beginning to make their way out.  
He let out the equivalent to a whimper as she turned and walked away, an extra sway to her hips almost had him tripping over as he rushed to catch up.  
"Alright love," he said, pointedly cocking his gun, "Let's go hunting."

~E&K~

The wood were eerily quiet save for the crunch of foliage under their boots. It was as if all the living creatures had gone or were at the very least hiding from...something. Killian had pulled the shotgun off his back, keeping one finger resting lightly over the trigger, his body tensed as the barrel swept over the shrubbery. Emma was a step behind. Unconsciously, she had moved closer to him, covering his back while he protected her front, gun carried in both hands low by her side.  
The distant sound of a branch snapping had them both wheeling around to confront what turned out to be thin air. In unison, their shoulders dropped, some of the tension easing slightly.  
Killian made as if to move off again but stopped once he realised Emma was no longer following.

"Swan?" He said, walking back and trying to identify what it was that she had seen somewhere ahead of them in the dense brush.  
Without a word, she stepped forward, pushing branches aside trying to reach something that he couldn't see.  
"Emma, wait. We shouldn't-"  
He collided into her back as she came to a sudden stop, reaching her hand out to grab something snagged on a low hanging branch.

"The Merrymen," she said, making an about turn to show him the woven piece of dark-green fabric that made up the cloaks of Robin's followers. There was a speck of blood that had soaked into the material, reminding Killian instantly of the piece of Emma's jumper that they had found in the same manner.  
She continued to examine the material, trying to determine how long ago it could have been lost there. Killian mean while checked their surrounding area.

Glancing towards the ground he noticed the unmistakable signs of boot-prints leading away from them, further off the track towards a small thicket of holly bushes.  
Nudging Emma's shoulder with his own to draw her attention, he nodded towards the marks in the earth, refraining from speaking as they appeared to be closing in on their potential kidnappers. She immediately picked up on his body-language, jerking her head to indicate that he should lead the way, knowing there was no way in hell that he would let her take point considering her condition.

The two of them edged forwards, more cautious than before, guns constantly raised and moving.  
"There's a break in the tree-line up ahead," Killian breathed, barely turning his head as he spoke, continuing to trek forwards until they broke free of the woods into a clearing.  
Emma gasped at the somewhat familiar sight. It was the same farmhouse that she had glimpsed when the monkey had caught her. Whoever they were dealing with, this was clearly their base of operation.

Killian seemed to sense her hesitation, waiting for her to make the next move.  
"This is where that thing tried to take me," she told him, beginning to stride over to the seemingly deserted house, "I landed there," she said, pointing to the storm cellar that they were closing in on.  
Changing her course, Emma began to march over towards the bunker, reaching out with the hand not gripping her gun to take hold of the handle, when she was jerked back.

"What are you thinking? You don't know what's down there," Killian hissed trying to pull her away, which was proving difficult with his gun tucked under his arm and a resistant Emma.  
"I'm just trying to-"  
There was a loud screech as the storm cellar doors flew open and a mass of flying monkeys soared out to hover above them.  
"Run!" Killian yelled, grabbing Emma's hand to haul her up from where she had ducked to avoid the monsters.

His shout was echoed above them. The largest of the creatures letting out an ear-piercing scream, pointing at the pair on the ground, desperately sprinting for the cover of the trees.  
Emma didn't look back at the sound of the beating-wings and clammering, pushing her legs to move faster and pumping her arms even as they burned with protest.  
A monkey suddenly appeared, hanging in the air in front of her, teeth bared as it lurched forward only to be blasted out of the air.

Behind her, Killian was setting off round after round as several of the pack got to close. Raising her own weapon, she fired at the beasts, bullets tearing through wings and limbs. Her eyes were focused upwards, intent on the hoard who, on one terrible command from their winged leader, dived at the ground.

Emma screamed as they landed atop Killian, some falling away as he shot them down, the rest flinging his weapon aside and pinning him to the ground. She couldn't see him, the mass of grey fur and feathers blocking her view as she charged forward.  
Amidst the din she could make out one very distinct, very human cry of pain and it made her see red.

Without thinking, she threw her hands forward, a massive beam of light erupting from her palms hitting the huddle and sending the monkeys flailing in all directions; the pure magic burning them. It wasn't until the last of them had vanished did the light almost completely fade, a buzzing remaining in her hands as she dashed over to Killian who was curled up on the ground.  
His clothes were ripped and torn by their claws, trails of blood marring his skin, though that seemed to be the extent of the damage.

"Killian," she whispered, rolling him onto his back to get a better look at his face that was, thankfully, untouched.  
"I'm okay love," he wheezed, attempting to get into a sitting position. One wince was all it took for Emma to wave her hand over him, the flesh and cloth stitching itself back together until he was good as new.  
"How did you do that?" He asked, staring at her in awe, patting down his body where there had only moments ago been pain.  
"Magic," she answered quickly, staring at her hands. It was as if with that one act she could suddenly feel the force of it buzzing beneath her skin, waiting to be of use, "I thought it had gone with the curse."

He took her raised palm in his, using it to tug her forward until she was astride his lap in a tight embrace.  
"You were bloody brilliant sweetheart," he said, fingers carding through her hair, "Amazing."  
Emma smiled at the familiarity of the words even if he didn't understand the significance, relaxing momentarily into his hold before leaning away.  
"Come on Deputy," she said, pulling him up with her as she stood, "We should tell David about what we found."

~E&K~

They had indeed returned to the station and relayed the information about the house in the middle of nowhere, leaving out the bit about fantastical creatures from Oz. Having identified the place on one of the many maps they seemed to possess, David sent them home to rest up before they organised a more official raid at some other time.  
It was a good thing as they were both exhausted, driving well below the speed limit so as not to crash on the way back to Killian's place.

With the engine killed, they hastily made their way inside, boots flying in all directions as they kicked them off and sank back into the plush couch.  
"Christ," Killian heaved, letting out a huge breath, "I'm not sure I'm cut out for this monster fighting lark."  
It was surely intended as a joke, but managed to pull Emma up short. Of course he noticed, could see the cogs in her head going as she began formulating an argument that would try and dissuade him from diving head first into the action that this version of himself was unfamiliar with.

"Don't even try it love," he said, sitting up and leaning into her until there was only a foot of space between them, "I'm with you through this, for better or for worse, you're stuck with me Swan."  
He raised his eyebrow flirtatiously, trying to coax a smile onto her face, though she couldn't quite erase the worry.  
"I'm just scared you're not going to be able to handle it," she admitted softly.

A memory from his dream sparked, the words achingly familiar so much so that he couldn't control himself; echoing what he knew he had once said.  
"Perhaps you're the one who couldn't handle it."  
He popped the 't,' staring at her pointedly to show that he understood the recognition that instantly flooded her features.

Much as she had done that very first time, a time that he could now remember, Emma grabbed him by the collar, hauling him forward to feverishly press her lips to his.  
His body covered the length of her own on the couch, hands reaching up to pull his hips down towards her own and all he could think of in that moment was not of monsters, witches or curses; but how glad he was that none of her family were around to witness this.

 **A/N: I did it. I finally did it. A full chapter at last, hallelujah, praise the muse gods. You may also be pleased to know that I have planned out the rest of this fic so there will be about five more chapters and maybe an epilogue. Thank you for sticking with me, it's been a rough old go, but having such wonderful followers is always a help.**  
 **Keep on, keeping on lovelies.**


	16. Follow The Yellow Leaf Road

**A/N: And we're back folks. It took a while but I found a bit of a groove with this chapter, although with exams coming up there will still be irregular updates most probably. Anyways, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own ouat**

 **Chapter 16: Follow The Yellow Leaf Road**

Their epic make-out session on the couch had been abruptly cut off with the sound of feet on the porch and Henry's enthusiastic conversation about video games. The school had decided to close, under-staffed with the disappearances and parents pulling their kids from lessons.  
Mary-Margaret had been her normal thoughtful self and decided to escort Henry home, not knowing that Emma and Killian were already there and in a slightly compromising position. She was somewhat glad that they'd stopped, firstly because (even if she didn't know it) Mary-Margaret was her mother and absolutely did not need to see her practically eating the face of Captain Hook. Secondly, with the way they were going, wandering hands were certain to lead to removal of clothing and her riding her pirate into oblivion in the middle of the day with the curtains open so that anyone could walk by and see them. Not altogether unappealing but she knew that her Killian would want to have their first time with him actually remembering who she was and that he loved her.

As it was, they just about managed to straighten themselves up, before the door swung open.  
 _My mother has a spare key, good to know;_ Emma thought as she tried to subtly tame her hair. How a man with only one hand had done so much damage was frankly a mystery...not that he looked any better; red cheeks, swollen lips, the makings of truly fantastic sex-hair. In short, they both looked thoroughly debauched, a fact made known as Marty-Margaret blushed and averted her eyes, while Henry rolled his eyes muttering, _'gross.'_

An awkward silence filled the room, broken by Killian stating that he was going to make a cup of tea, trying to cover himself as discreetly as possible, though there was no disguising the slight discomfort in his steps. Henry followed him out, but headed up the stairs rather than to the kitchen, his tie and back pack already half off, leaving only Emma and her mother to try and avoid meeting each other's gaze.  
"I didn't realise that you two were home or that you were...what I mean to say is," Mary-Margaret stammered, only to be quickly interrupted by Emma.  
"No, no, it's fine. Uh, thank you for bringing him home. The school didn't call so it's good that he got home safely."

They fell back into silence, Emma preying to any deity out there that, when this curse was broken, her mother would hopefully forget this little encounter. Henry pounded back down the steps, aiming instantly for his x-box that he had insisted they set up the night before, shouting 'phone' as Killian's cell began vibrating across the coffee table.  
Killian grumbled loudly, moving as quickly as possible with a tray full of mugs, gladly passing it off to an eager Emma who was happy to be doing something other than staring at her own hands.

"Dave," he answered as a way of greeting, presumably having looked at the caller I.D...unless he had a personalised ring-tone for her dad, she thought making sure to find out later; that was the kind of black-mail material that she simply couldn't pass up.  
"Seriously mate, we just got back," he sighed, pressing the phone between his ear and shoulder so that he could shove a tired hand through his hair. "She's here actually, just brought the lad back from school...yes, I'll ask her now...I know Dave, I get it...we'll be as quick as we can."

"Belle just called," he explained, reaching for his hastily discarded jacket, "Neal Gold has gone missing and his father believes that he is more important than any other citizen in Storybrooke and we are to launch a town wide investigation immediately."  
Emma could detect the bitterness lacing his tone, apparently not even a dark-curse could make Killian Jones forget his hatred for Rumplestiltskin.  
"M," he said, turning to her mother, "David says it's best if you stay put here with Henry, he doesn't want to risk you out on the street, apparently Neal got snatched just outside of the shop."

Emma could see Henry hanging off of Killian's every word. Though he and Neal weren't close, the man was still his father and he was obviously concerned. It was enough to spur her into action, pulling on her boots and grabbing the keys to the bug.  
"Be good for Mary-Margaret," she said sternly, grasping her son by the shoulders as he made to follow the pair of deputies to the door, "Do exactly what she says and don't go outside for anything."  
He nodded an affirmative, though was clearly unhappy about the situation. She pressed a quick kiss to his forehead before turning to her mother.  
"Please take care of him," she asked, "He's a strong-willed kid and I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to get out and help."  
"I won't take my eyes off him for a second," Mary-Margaret promised, steel in her eyes that allowed Emma a glimpse of Snow White the bandit, "Now go. Take care of yourselves."

With one last nod, the pair raced for the door, checking the skies above as they jogged to the bug, lighting the ignition and speeding towards the station.

~E&K~

Belle had been almost hysterical when they arrived, an ashen Mr. Gold by her side, leaning heavily on his cane whilst barking orders at David who was trying to calm the man down.  
"Gold I know he is your son and I know you're worried, but Neal is not the only missing person out there. We are doing what we can with the numbers we have, but volunteers are few and far between so right now it isn't safe for us to perform a raid on the house Emma found."

Apparently this wasn't good enough and, even in his weakened state, Gold made certain to threaten bodily harm on everybody in the room if they did not immediately go out and hunt down Neal.  
The resulting argument had been long and circular, David having to hold Killian back as he appeared ready to launch at the man who had gotten it in his head that it was somehow all Jones' fault. Eventually, they had no choice but to adhere to the demands of a fuming Gold and tearful Belle, their remaining voluntary helpers dividing amongst the three of them to perform a heavily armed search of the streets and woods.

Killian had started another shouting match about separating from Emma when she was still injured. She hadn't been able to tell him that she'd used her rediscovered magic to heal the wounds and that the bandages were now purely for show. It had taken a further ten minutes to make him back down with the reasoning that they had no other choice, at least one official officer had to be with a group, which is how Emma ended up back in the woods with Happy on her left and Robin on her right. This is what their numbers had dwindled too; they were three teams of three and Killian had only been placated once it was decided Robin and his menacing looking bow would be going with Emma while he was backed up by Leroy and a heel-clad Ruby who was pissed at the loss of valuable clientele.

The main-trail of the woods was once again eerily devoid of seemingly all noise, save for their footsteps over fallen leaves and Happy's heavy breathing (what she wouldn't give for a dwarf called Stealthy) the guy simply wasn't cut out for this stuff; she didn't even know what his regular job was.  
As if to prove her contemplative point, a branch cracking in the distance sent the short man reeling. He let out a high pitched shriek and began high-tailing it back down the route they'd just travelled, heading towards town.

She didn't think it was possible for her eyes to roll that much, but apparently she was wrong. Her irritation was matched equally by that of Robin's, who sighed heavily telling her to wait there, before stomping off to find the missing dwarf. Emma couldn't be sure, but she was fairly certain she heard the thief muttering about shooting an arrow into Happy's knee-cap, but she honestly didn't care. They were wasting valuable time, and now she was stuck in the middle of the same creepy woods where she'd been attacked my fantasical fictional creatures, not once, but two times now.

Emma contemplated calling David to let him know that they would probably be late to rendezvous, but she knew that he'd call Killian and they'd both drop what they were doing to run to her side. It was better that she wait it out, although...  
She was a grown adult, ex-bailbonds person, current Saviour. She'd slain a dragon for god's sake, she could walk a few feet down a path without getting caught or killed.

As if by some act of fate, or more likely magic, a sudden sharp gust of wind threw the dying leaves on the ground into the air; the plants spinning in some manner of miniature tornado, only to quickly settle into a scarily familiar pattern.  
"Follow the yellow leaf road," Emma muttered quietly to herself, setting out in the direction that the deadened leaves pointed, leading to the goddamn magical wishing well.  
Stepping up onto the low stone platform, she gripped he edge and looked first downwards and then out at the surrounding area, almost lurching forwards as a voice suddenly shattered the silence.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Saviour herself, I didn't think you'd be brave enough to come."  
Whirling around, she came face to face with a red-headed woman dressed all in black, save for green gloves and a pendant, a slightly pointed hat perched atop her head.  
"Let me guess," Emma said, straightening her spine and dropping her hands down, feeling the magic building there, "You must be the Wicked Witch of the West."  
"I prefer Zelena, but it's always nice to be recognised."

The Witch was preening, obviously a fan of attention, not that Emma was prepared to try and linger by lavishing her with false compliments.  
"What have you done with all the missing people?" She demanded, edging sideways as the other woman attempted to circle around her.  
"Straight to business I see. My, my, you heroes really don't like to mess around; although I must say I'm rather disappointed that you were the one to find me; I was hoping it would be my sister."

"Listen lady," Emma began, magic spiking at the dark look that crossed the witch's face, "I don't know who the hell your sister is, so you might as well tell me-"  
"Don't lie to me!" Zelena screamed, transporting herself in a puff of green smoke so that they were nose to nose, "My sister will pay for what she did to me and until she steps up, this town will suffer. No-one else needs to vanish, just hand her and Rumplestiltskin over and things will get better."  
"Gold?" Emma asked, "Why am I not surprised. What does he have to do with this?"  
Zelena cackled, stepping away back into the shrubbery, "Your little mind games won't work on me Saviour. My sister and Rumplestiltskin, or your precious little peninsula will see how wicked I can truly be."

At the end of her statement, Emma's hands shot forward, launching a burning beam bright, white light right at the place where the woman had been standing, but she once again vanished in a cloud of smoke, her piercing laughter left echoing through the air.  
She was frozen for an instant, chest heaving as she tried to process all that she'd learned...or rather, all that she hadn't.  
One thing was certain; there was somebody she needed to see.

~E&K~

The door of the pawn shop slammed against the wall with the force of her entry, the small bell jangling precariously before settling into its place.  
"Gold!" Emma yelled, assuming that Belle must be at the library, or conducting her own search, seeing as she hadn't rushed in to see what all the noise was about. As there was no answer, she wasted no time in storming across the floor and into the curtained off back room where Rumple sat, calmly feeding thread into his spinning wheel.

"Miss Swan," he said coolly, without looking up, "Always one to make an entrance."  
"What the hell does the Wicked Witch have against you, and who is her sister."  
"Tact to," he muttered, "Just like your father."  
"I'm not playing around Gold," she snarled, grabbing hold of the wheel to prevent it from moving, "That bitch threatened the whole goddamn town, so you better start telling me what you know or I'll stop asking nicely."

He must have sensed the elctrical charge coming off of her. Since her magic had returned, Emma had been far more in tune to it than ever before, making it easy to call on, though unpredictable at best. Currently her hands were glowing, a slight vibration running across her skin, that made the Dark One re-evaluate his stance.  
"Regina," he said simply, "Regina is Cora's second child, the first having been packed off to Oz on the day of her birth. As for my relationship with Zelena, that is not of your concern."  
"The hell it isn't," Emma replied, "Or were you not listening when I said she would take out whatever her vengeance is on the town."

"Is it the whole town you're worried about, or just a chosen few?" The imp input snidely, "The pirate seems awfully comfortable in his new life as a deputy, would be such a shame if something were to come along and ruin it."  
Her jaw clenched and the buzzing under her skin spiked and she was pleased to see the man take a small step back, "Don't test me Gold, it won't end well for you."  
"I'm just saying that when all this comes to head, the forgetful Captain's probably going to get caught in the middle, we wouldn't want a repeat of Neverland now would we? I would think carefully before you act Miss Swan, you may not like the results."  
With that, he sat back on his stool and proceeded to pick up his spinning, leaving Emma to storm out back to the station where everyone was probably waiting for her already.

~E&K~

"She's going to be okay isn't she?" Henry asked Killian, as the older man paced the length of the hall for what felt like the millionth time, coming to a halt at the anguish that was creeping into the boy's voice.  
"Come here lad," he said, opening his arms for Henry who surprisingly ran headlong into him, colliding with his torso and securing his arms about his waist, "She was only ten minutes late to rendezvous when I left to check on you, Robin says there wasn't any sign of struggle and you know she wouldn't have gone down without a fight."  
The kid nodded against his chest, squeezing Killian just a little tighter as he ran his one hand through his untidy brown hair.

Emma would be fine, she had to be. Lord knows what she was thinking wandering off by herself, although Killian had been ready to throttle the two men whose only job was to have her back. The only satisfying bit about the whole situation was that Robin had apologised and promised to hold the short man down while Killian knocked some sense into him. He'd only left because David told him to go check on Henry and Mary-Margaret, the latter having bundled herself quickly into her station-wagon, speeding off to meet her husband. This had left the two men to stand guard in the hallway, waiting for the woman who tied them together to come home.

As if on cue, the sound of a key in the lock echoed through the quiet space and Emma walked in only to be instantly met with an armful of eleven year old.  
"Woah kid," she laughed, "Where's the fire?"  
"We were worried mom! You didn't get to the station on time and Robin didn't know where you were and-"  
Emma was quick to reassure her son as tears began to slip down his cheeks, rubbing a soothing hand over his back, while her eyes raised to meet the storm that was building in Killian's gaze.  
"Henry," she said, drawing the kid out from his place pressed tightly against her, "Why don't you go get started on some hot chocolate and then I'll tell you what I found out."  
The boy glanced quickly between the two adults, obviously sensing their need to have a conversation alone, so he hugged his mother one more before running off into the kitchen.

"Swan-" Killian began as soon as they were alone together.  
"Please don't, don't start, I-"  
"Kiss me Emma."  
She stopped. Of all the things she and been expecting him to say, that was not top of her list.  
"Killian, I don't...I don't understand."  
"When you kiss me, I see things, I _remember_ things. I need my memory back, I need to know you, know how to help. Emma please, I can't keep standing helplessly by while you face some unknown danger by yourself. "

Emma could read the desperation in his eyes, hear it in his voice, but Gold's words reverberated through her mind and caused her to lash out.  
"I can handle myself."  
"This isn't about you not being bale to handle things Emma," he argued, stepping forward to that he could grab her hand, "This is about you not having to do this by yourself. Do I not have a right to my memories?"  
Suddenly tired and angry she snatched her hand back, crossing her arms over her chest, "You don't have a right to demand that I kiss you!"

He took a step back, although he didn't appear contrite, " Well forgive me _Miss Swan,"_ he said, the emphasis on her last name like a slap in the face, "But you seemed all too willing before and was it not _your_ desire to have everyone regain their memories."  
She spluttered for a minute, trying to tamp down her temper, knowing that his anger was born out of worry for her and that hers was merely a side-product of fear for him.  
"I'm just trying to protect you," she said more calmly, a plaintive tone to her voice, reaching out trying to get him to understand.  
"That's not your decision to make," he countered, chest heaving, "Emma, I'm begging you; let me in."

They were at a standstill, his eyes large and emploring, asking not for his memories but something else...something that she didn't know if she was ready to give. Emma Swan had been falling in love with Captain Hook, swashbuckling pirate, captain of the Jolly Roger, the man who guided her through Neverland. Killian Jones, Deputy of Storybrooke, home owner and cookie baker, were all traits that likely belonged to the Lieutenant in her pirate; but that did not make them the same man. But that wasn't where the issue lay. The issue lay, as always, with her.  
Before her stood one man who was really two men, two men who cared deeply for her; one that openly loved her and the other who appeared to be falling, reaching out to close that last bit of distance between them.  
So what to do in a situation where she was faced with the possibility of having everything she ever wanted; Emma Swan shut herself down and threw her walls up.

"I can't," she whispered, unable to meet his eyes, already knowing what she would see. She had watched his heartbreak once already when she rejected him in Neverland, she could not bear to see it again.  
Instead she stood idle, hearing the terrible broken hitch of breath that he couldn't prevent escaping from his throat, and then feeling him brush silently by her.  
The front door slammed closed and Emma crumpled in the hallway of _his_ home.  
Everyone leaves eventually, but never has she had to forcibly remove a person.

Henry finds her, obviously having overgheard the whole conversation, onlyy two mugs in his grip. She holds back a sob at the sight of the third, abandoned on the counter, just as she had abandoned Killian.


	17. This Ought To Be Good

**A/N: What the hell is this, an update, in a timely manner. I know I was shocked to. You may also be pleased to know that I am rather determined to get the next chapter written as well, so there should be that to look forward to in the next couple of days. Meanwhile enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nada**

 **This Ought To Be Good**

Killian's feet pounded against the concrete as he stormed from his home down the street, the heavy wooden front door slamming shut behind him.  
He had no idea where he stood with this woman. It was clear from the way she treated him, how she touched him, how she _kissed_ him that, in the life he couldn't remember, they were something more than just friends. Yet, the instant he tried to break through the fog of his memory and actually attempt to become the man she knew, she rejected him.

It hurt more than he was willing to admit, an acute ache in his chest at the sight of her walls mounting, her shutting him down and out in the same breath. Logically, he knew that she was scared, could see the ghost of abandonment in her eyes and the fear of such loss reoccurring; but she must surely know how utterly enraptured he is. The man he currently was was not one to believe in curses and witches, yet he'd thrown reason out of the door without a backwards glance as soon as this stranger and her son begged him to. Whatever he and Emma Swan truly were remained a mystery, but he could tell the emotion ran deep, his very being pulsating with the need to be close to her, to keep her safe. Her touch was like a live-wire on his skin, sparks erupting with a mere brush of fingers.  
Killian Jones, who had sworn to himself to never give his heart away again, had only gone and fallen in love with a woman he'd known for a matter of days...or months, depending on who you asked.

The not all that surprising revelation took all of the anger out of him and he slumped back, landing on a bench, his feet having automatically led him towards the docks.  
Night was fast approaching, the sky a gentle gradient of dark pinks fading into navy blues. He must have been walking slower than he thought, though they were well into the evening when Emma returned...he wanted to say home, though she'd made it quite apparent that she didn't share that particular sentiment.  
Killian knew he ought to return, put his anguish aside and continue to be her friend and aid her as best he could; but for now he felt at ease watching the stars slowly emerge as the music of the waves hitting the shore filled his ears.

It was the wrong decision to make as, before he had a chance to react, something cold and solid hit him around the back of the head and, in time with the night, his vision faded to black.

Back at the house, Emma peered through the curtain next to the door for the dozenth time though the street remained empty of any sign of her pirate. She owed it to him to wait and try to explain to him why she couldn't surrender herself emotionally, but she was tired and in desperate need of sleep, she trusted that Killian would make his way back eventually.  
For an instant she contemplated turning off the light above the porch, but thought better of it.  
He would need something to guide him home to her.

~E&K~

Emma woke slowly, sleep still clouding her eyes and stilting her movements. Even after going to bed, she'd remained awake until past midnight hoping to hear the sound of Killian's key in the lock. She realised she must have fallen asleep and missed his return.  
Swinging her legs out from underneath the cover, she grabbed the thin black robe he had lent to her their first evening there and hurried from the room, down the corridor to the master suite, halting outside of his door.  
"Just knock," she whispered to herself as her hand hovered inches away from the wood, "It's Killian, don't be a coward."  
With that, she took a deep breath before knocking gently.

There wasn't an immediate response, which seemed odd considering Emma knew that Killian typically rose with the sun as a byproduct of his time in the Navy. But, then again she thought, he must have got back really late last night, she couldn't exactly blame him for over-sleeping.  
She knocked again, this time with more force hoping the louder noise would be enough to rouse him.  
Still nothing.

Her brow furrowed into a frown, hand automatically reaching for the knob and slowly turning it to push her way into the room.  
"Killian?" She called out tentatively, only to come face to face with a perfectly made, yet empty bed.  
She could feel her quiet worry gradually expanding into full blown panic, part of her mind trying to reason that he could already be in the kitchen or passed out on the couch, the other more dominant part suggesting a far nastier turn of events.  
Perhaps he hadn't come back at all, perhaps she'd forced him out of his own home and into spending the night somewhere else; the inn maybe or...

"Henry!" Emma yelled, running down the hall to rouse her sleeping son, who grumbled unhappily, "Come on kid I need you to get dressed."  
"Mom, seriously," he whined, trying to draw the comforter further over his head, "It's like the ass-crack of dawn."  
"I will chose to ignore your use of language if you get up right now. Killian didn't come back last night, we need to find him."

That got his attention. Henry sat bolt upright, immediately out of bed and moving to grab socks and a shirt.  
"Are you sure mom? Did he not message you, have you checked your phone?"  
She hadn't, knowing in her gut that there would be no text or voicemail waiting but, for the sake of her kid, he rushed back to her own room throwing on the first set of clothes she laid her hands on and grabbing the device from the nightstand. Henry was there to meet her once she got downstairs, his coat and shoes already on.  
"There's no sign of him down here, the porch light was still on. Did you-"  
She shook her head, watching the drop in his shoulders.

Just yesterday the kid had found out that his estranged, biological father had gone missing, most likely at the hands of the Wicked Witch of the West and now today, the man he looked up to, who save his life, whom he cared for more than even she probably knew had vanished as well.  
"Hey Henry," she said, pulling him into a tight hug, "He'll be okay. If we can't find anything at the docks then we'll call David and get the biggest search party you've ever seen to go and find him."  
She felt him nod against her chest, a somewhat shaky inhale that she was certain was meant to mask a sob.  
"I just can't lose him too," Henry whispered so quietly she wasn't certain she was meant to here it, yet she answered anyway.  
"Me too kid, me too."

Mother and son parted in unison, shoulders straightening and spines turning to steel,  
"Let's go get our pirate back."

~E&K~

The docks were looking to be a dead-end.  
They had checked the Jolly first, still bobbing proudly on the waves, but she had been deserted. All of the other sloops had wielded no results and Emma could feel the panic clawing at her throat, making it difficult to breathe. Henry had slouched down onto a bench, gazing out at the sea with the hope dimming in his eyes. Eventually, she slumped beside him, eyes trained on the ground the ocean mocking her with its connection to him.

Her focus started to drift, fear taking over as she desperately pleaded in her mind that wherever Killian was, he was okay. It was how she came to notice it; so small, so easily missed, yet so potentially horrifying. There was a trail leading from the bench made up of tiny dots of blood that made her own run cold.  
She was on her feet in an instant. One hand reached for Henry to pull him towards the bug, the either dialed David and told him to get his ass to the station immediately.

~E&K~

Henry was pissed, she could tell. Perhaps it was mother's intuition, more likely that her kid had more or less said those exact words when everyone who'd come to the station told him there was no way in hell that he would be a part of the search party. When she says everyone she means David, Mary-Margaret, Regina and Robin.  
It had been agreed, despite his very vocal protests, that Henry and Mary-Margaret would remain in town and man the station firstly to field any incomong calls from the troubled locals and secondly in case Killian showed up.  
Emma, Regina, Robin and David would search together as a group.

She suspected this may be another reason as to why Henry was so angry, not at his memoryless family, but at the town who'd chosen not to respond to their plea for help.  
Not a single volunteer had stepped forwards to try and aid in the search for the man who was considered a friend to many and an upstanding citizen to the rest. The lack of unity had meant that Emma was forced to break her promise to her son; the biggest search party he'd ever seen amounted to a grand total of four people but, then again, Emma could think of no-one better, even if two of them were entirely oblivious to what was actually going on in Storybrooke.

Henry was eventually talked down due to the fact that it was clear that, should any news come in about Killian, he would most likely be the first to know; it was then just an issue of where to start.  
All of the other missing people had vanished without a trace, this was the first case in which something had been left behind. She tried hard to not to focus on the fact that that something was her pirate's blood. However, it led them to believe that maybe this incident wasn't connected to the others, that Killian's disappearance was the result of something else.  
Emma didn't know what terrified her more; that Killian could currently be a prisoner of the Wicked With and her flying monkeys, or that there was some unknown player in the game who had taken him for their own reason. Her mind quickly jumped to Gold, but she knew that in his weakened state, the Dark One could do little more than voice his anger over Neal and make vaguely cryptic threats.

They were lost. No leads to follow, no trail to pick up, if they went out to the farmhouse they risked attack and Emma knew that they wouldn't find him there. Frustration was mounting in the room, the tension of the adults rippling in the air as they argued back and forth over how to move forward.  
It was Henry who solved the issue, or rather, the solution was handed to him as the phone rang.  
"Hello?" He said tentatively, the receiver pressed fully against his ear so he didn't miss a thing.  
"Hello Henry," responded voice that he was not familiar, "Could you do me a favour and make it so everyone who is with you right now can hear this. Your mother in particular, I wouldn't want her to miss out."

He could feel the questioning eyes of everyone else in the room, but simply pressed the speaker phone button rather than give them a verbal answer.  
"Hello everybody," stated the voice as if grandly proclaiming himself to a welcoming crowd, "I don't know if you remember me or not given everything else that you have going on, but allow me to jog your memories. My name is Walsh and I believe I have something of yours."  
"Son of a bitch," David muttered, moving immediately into action and pulling on his shoulder holster, signaling for Robin to do the same, though the archer (Still untrustworthy of the metal shooting devices) merely slung a quiver across his back.

"What have you done with Killian?" Emma demanded, "If you've hurt him you-"  
"There's no need to fear Miss Swan," Walsh drawled, "I'll be happy to return him to you."  
"Why do I get the feeling that it's not going to be that easy," she replied sarcastically.  
"There's no need for things to be difficult. Simply come to the cannery rooftop alone and the Deputy is free to go."  
"Like hell she'll-" David yelled, moving towards the phone, but Emma quickly ended the call, reaching for her gun and heading towards the door.

"What do you think you're doing?" Asked Regina, trying to block her exit.  
"What does it look like? I'm going to get Killian back," she replied, trying to move around the woman only for Robin to stop her.  
"Not on your own," said the thief, earning an approving side-eye from Regina, which Emma would make sure to investigate later.  
"If I'm not alone, who knows what he'll do. I'll be fine, I have experience in situations like this."  
"Not happening," said David, "You can go to that rooftop, but we will be right behind you and on the ground in case things go south."

Emma could tell that there would be no arguing with them on this, Mary-Margaret looked ready to jump in, so instead she let out a long breath and nodded her agreement.  
"Don't let him see you," is all she said, before hooking the keys to the cruiser and striding to the exit, shooting Henry a look that told him to behave himself, while she did her best to bring their man home.

~E&K~

Killian groaned at the dull throbbing coming from the back of his skull. Whoever had hit him, they sure as hell hadn't been holding anything back, it felt like a sledge-hammer was pounding away at his head.  
He peeled back his eyelids, only to be met with darkness once again.  
In a state of panic, he tried to reach to pull what he assumed to be a bag off his head, but his kidnapper had apparently bound his hand and brace together. Trying to calm down, he focused on his other senses, picking up the scent of sea-salt and fish meaning they were still near the docks, and what could only be the pacing of his attacker.  
In a sense of de ja vu, one phrase tripped from his tongue, "I prefer it with the lights on."

The footsteps momentarily stilled, before renewing and obviously heading in his direction.  
"Sorry about that Captain," sad a distinctly male, yet unfamiliar voice, "It's only temporary I assure you. Shouldn't be long now."  
"Until what?" Killian asked, fingers probing the ropes that bound him, looking for a weak point.  
"Until your _Saviour_ come," the man answered, walking away again and causing Killian to freeze.

Whoever this person was, they knew about the curse, about Emma. The emphasis on 'saviour' a dead giveaway that this man was not only not from around here, but his tone and actions would also indicate that he was the furthest thing from an ally. Whatever he intended to do, it was surely designed to hurt Emma, Killian was the bait to lure her into a trap.  
Fueled by desperation, he started to work furiously at the knot binding his hand, slipping his brace further down his scarred wrist causing the rope to go slack.  
He was just about free when he heard a door slam open.

"Walsh I presume," Emma called out, her words both soothing him and pushing him into getting out of his bindings more quickly.  
"So glad you could join us Miss Swan. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up," the man, Walsh, answered. "Your weapon really won't be necessary. All I ask is that you come with me to my...let's say employer, and in return I'll give you your precious Captain."  
Killian took a risk. With his arms finally free, he yanked the bag from his head only to realise that he'd been stashed behind an aircon unit and that he couldn't get eyes on Emma.  
Pushing himself up into a crouch, he peered around the edge of the large metal block, sight fixing on his Swan in all her red leather clad glory, gun aimed at the man they'd found with her out in the woods.

"Your employer?" Emma asked, her gaze locked on the man in front of her so that she didn't notice him as he moved forward to grab a thick piece of pipe that had been abandoned on the rooftop.  
"Yes," Walsh said, beginning to ease his way towards Emma, leaving his back exposed. "She's made it very clear to me that it's of the utmost importance we remove you from the situation; so, if you would just come with me."  
"I'm going to have to pass on that," Emma replied coldly, her feet moving to match his steps, never giving an opening, "I've learnt not to go anywhere with strangers or people who look like they want to kill me."  
Her expression changed quickly to one of shock, a slight back-step in her progress as Walsh did something that he couldn't see.  
"I guess we'll have to do things the hard way," the man snarled, making as if to lunge towards the blonde.  
In an instant, Killian closed the distance between himself and the man, swinging the piece of pipe with all his might and hitting the guy round the back of the head sending him crumpling to the ground.  
"I believe the lady said no mate," he huffed, chest heaving with the sudden rush of adrenaline.

"Killian," he heard whispered, his face shooting up to Emma, who was staring at him in wonder.  
The piece of metal clattered to the floor as he rushed across the short amount of space between them, seizing her in his arms in a fierce hug that she happily reciprocated.

~E&K~

Emma felt her feet lift off the ground as Killian pulled her even closer to him, while her hands ran gently through his hair, only pushing him away as he hissed when she passed over a particular spot.  
"You're hurt," she said, voice quiet but determined as she tried to get a better look at his injury.  
"Just a small bump to the head love, I don't even think I got a concussion."

He was smiling, trying to ease the tension that was radiating from her entire body and it made her want to cry.  
"I'm sorry," she murmured, fingers caressing the contours of his face, "I'm so sorry Killian, about last night, about-"  
"Hush darling," he soothed, drawing her back against his chest, "There's nothing for you to be sorry for. I should be apologising to you for walking out."  
Emma simply shook her head and pulled him closer. He was okay and that was all that mattered.  
She was moments away from pushing up onto her toes to kiss him with all the pent up desperation she'd been feeling since yesterday, but her father chose that exact second to storm the roof with Regina and Robin on his flanks.  
"Are you two alright?" He called out, starting to make his way over when an ear-splitting shriek filled the air.

The group turned as Walsh rose from his place collapsed on the floor...but he wasn't entirely Walsh.  
His eyes were bright red, fingers elongating into talons and bits of grey fur sprouting across his body.  
David ran over and pushed Emma down as wings erupted from the man's back and he flew into the air, fully transformed into a monkey.  
"What the hell is that?!" Regina yelled, drawing the apes attention as it screamed once more and dived for the rooftop, aiming straight at Emma.

For a second she thought she was done for. There was no way that she could move in time, the thing was almost upon her entirely but, at the last second, a loud bang echoed through the air and the monkey exploded in a cloud of dust to reveal Killian with his feet planted and Emma's gun still pointed at where the monster had been.

Silence descended, save for the groups heavy breathing, but it was quickly shattered by Regina.  
"Forgive me for repeating myself, but what the hell was that thing and why don't you three," she said, gesturing to Robin, Killian and Emma, "Look more horrified?"  
The trio looked at each other and nodded; it was time to explain.  
"We should head back to the station," Emma said, taking Killian's proffered hand, "Mary-Margaret needs to hear this too and it will save having to repeat myself.  
The Mayor looked ready to protest as did the Sheriff, but they held their tongues and followed the others off of the roof.

This ought to be good. 


End file.
